Freewheeling the gaps
by SJ Howitt
Summary: A series of drabbles that have fallen out of my other stories. Rated for some chapters, though most could probably be K . Come from the Basement Girl Arc, and not from any of the others. They aren't in chronological order, but chapter headings/ dates should show where they go.
1. In Mexico

They were sitting on the porch in front of Mike's house, Leyla had gone to put Amira to bed, Mike was dozing in his chair and Gibbs and Kim were sitting cuddled together watching the ocean. The warm evening sun filled the beach with an orange glow, the sound of seabirds and waves lapping was soft and soothing. He kissed her shoulder where his head and hers were pressed close together. Suddenly she stiffened, and he followed her gaze to see the shadow of horses walking around the headland, and onto the beach.

"Just locals" Gibbs whispered into her ear "they do that most evenings if the weathers good, they won't harm you."

"Horses?" She smiled and turned in his arms, "I love horses!" she shrieked and clapped her hands

Gibbs smiled "That much hey?"

"Oh can I go and pet them?" she begged "I mean will they get offended?"

Gibbs laughed and pulling her up straight led her across the beach, on seeing him the horse riders waved companionably and turned to meet them.

"Gibbs" the older man on the first horse greeted him like a friend "you have moved back in with Mike?"

"Just a holiday Paulo" Gibbs laughed and petted the man's horse, "This is my friend Kim, she likes horses."

Kim smiled and then reaching up immediately nuzzled the horse, who nipped her hair affectionately. There were two other riders with Paulo who spurred their horses off down the beach at a gallop, leaving Paulo and two final horses who were saddled and tethered to his reins.

"Would you like to ride Moonlight, Miss Kim?" Paulo asked her gesturing at the black mixed breed mare tethered behind him, "She's got a lovely temperament, but she's a bit too slow for my girls now."

Kim looked up at him wide eyed, and then to Gibbs for assurance "Really? Please if I may?"

Gibbs shrugged, and Paulo undid the tether passing her the Moonlights reins.

"Hey darlin'" Kim soothed the mare who had skittered slightly, the horse blew and then settled her muzzle onto Kim's shoulder while Kim petted her nose. "You're grand you are" Kim whispered, running her hand down the mare's neck and flank, whispering and cushing nonsense as she did so.

Gibbs was about to ask if she needed help mounting, when Kim stepped up and mounted the horse perfectly. The Irish girl gave the black mare a few seconds to adjust to her slight weight, then she took the reins between her hands, and squeezed with her knees, Moonlight took to faltering steps forward, before Kim leant slightly forward and the mare went from fast trot to gallop in seconds.

Kim's hair flew behind her, the salty air and the warm sun, the horse between her legs, she was a little girl again, riding as if there was nothing to fear, running as if without a care, she laughed and whooped with joy.

Gibbs watched her entranced forgetting for a moment that Paulo was still mounted behind him.

"If you want to catch her, you're gonna have to borrow my horse" Paulo laughed gesturing at the Stallion behind him.

"Two spare horses?" Gibbs asked "Mike?"

"Mentioned you had a girl with you, Leyla told him she needed to come out of her shell." Paulo told him "You should come back here Gibbs, it's a better life" Gibbs took the reins from Paulo and mounted the stallion. He smiled at his friend before galloping off after Kim.

Gibbs hadn't caught up with her, till she and Moonlight started plunging in and out of the water, then in the wet trailing moment as they lurched out of the sea for the fifth time he was casually trotting by the place they emerged. "So you like horses then?" he asked her.

"I've been riding since before I could walk" she told him "watch!" she dropped the reins, knelt up in the saddle, stood up and spread her arms, while Moonlight stood still and passive. She smiled happily, before sitting back into the saddle again, "I've not seen a horse since I came to the States" she said sadly, and then looking across at him "You ride?"

"I ride" he confirmed laughing "Paulo says you can go up to his finca tomorrow if you like, I think he likes you"

"My Dad bought me a Palomino called Eurydice for my eleventh birthday" Kim told him "I loved him, my cousin Danny got him when we moved"

Gibbs looked across "You have an extended family?"

"I'm an Irish Catholic, of course" she stopped suddenly "They all think I'm dead don't they?"

"You want to contact them?" he asked

"What do I say?" she shrugged "My Gran, my aunts, my cousins? They might be dead!"

"We can find out, you don't have to contact them, but I'm sure they'd like to know you're safe."

"Am I safe?" She asked

"Do you feel safe?" he looked her in the eyes "It's OK if you don't, but you will always be safe with me" he told her, reaching over and grabbing her hand "I won't let anyone hurt you"

"It's never going to be over is it? I'll always look over my shoulder won't I?"

"I don't know, there are people you can talk too, good people who will help you, and you can always talk to me?"

"Gibbs" she smiled

"Call me Jethro, Kim, if you want."

"Jethro?"

"It's my name"

"But everyone calls you Gibbs"

"Not everyone, and you don't have too"

"Jethro" she smiled then laughed then kicked her heels "Catch me if you can, JETHRO!"

He shook his head and laughed, before chasing after her.


	2. In Mexico 2

Later in the evening, Kim lay on Gibbs naked chest in Mike's spare room, still referred to as Gibbs room by the family, even after Leyla and Amira moved in. "Jethro?" she asked

"Hmm?"

"They all want you to move back to Mexico"

"Hmm"

"Why?"

Gibbs laughed "I build things"

"Like the boat?" she asked

"Among other things, I retired a few years ago, I rebuilt Mikes roof, did some bits for Paulo, it's what counts here"

"When you retired from the Marines?"

"No, I resigned from NCIS"

"Why?"

"Long story" he kissed her, silencing her for a moment.

After a few moments of quiet she turned to face him again "but you didn't want to stay here?"

"I did" Gibbs told her "but something's are more important"

"Your team?" she snuggled into him "There's Ziva, and Timothy and DiNozzo?"

"Yep" he smiled as she carefully dragged these names she'd heard whilst under duress from her memory, "There's also Abby, you'll like her, and Ducky"

She giggled "Ducky?"

"Dr Donald "Ducky" Mallard, he's Scottish."

"You said I'd like Abby"

"Abb's? Yeah"

"So I get to meet her?"

"If you want?"

"So I can come back to DC with you?"

Gibbs looked at her, it hadn't occurred to him that she wouldn't return to DC with him, "I wasn't planning on leaving you here?"

"Oh" she looked confused "erm it might be a little late for this but, I've never been in this situation before?"

He sighed and pulled her close "I know"

"I mean, I'm no virgin but…"

"I know" He kissed her head "You can say no" he told her.

"What?"

"To me" Gibbs swallowed "you can always tell me no, you don't have to do anything you don't want" he whispered into her hair "I'll always respect that." He could feel her stiffen and chill beside him.

"No?"

"No" he confirmed "anytime you feel uncomfortable" he told her gently.

She ran her hand down his chest and torso, and lower below his waist "even when?"

He closed his eyes, suppressing a moan "anytime".

"You know I didn't know anything before" she choked on a sob "before Michael"

"Kim" Gibbs interrupted

"Sorry" she said quickly returning to her ministrations and falling silent.

He took her hand and brought it up to his lips, kissing the back of it, he wrapped his spare hand around her and pulled her close to his side again "don't apologise, talk to me" he kissed her hair, "I want you to talk to me"

"It's the middle of the night"

"We don't have to get up in the morning"

"I don't know what to tell you?" she shuffled against him under the covers "Do you want me to tell you about the first time?"

"Do you want to?"

"Not really" he ran his hand through her hair, soothing her like he would a scared colt "He wouldn't always tie me up, he didn't need to, but sometimes he would anyway" he let her calm slightly "when he brought others down he'd put a bag over my head and tie me, only a few got to see my face, got to…" she grabbed his arm and squeezed.

He could feel her heart thumping "It's OK, you're safe and you don't have to continue"

"He sold me, he sold my body" she told him "he got paid so they could torture and rape me"

"I know" he kissed her

"And now I don't know any different"

"Yeah you do" he told her, he pulled her up and astride him, smiling as she grinned in the darkened room. She leant over and kissed him full on the lips, sighing as he caught her mouth and deepened the kiss, she wriggled her hips and moaned into his mouth, he broke the kiss and looked into her eyes "you remember what I said?"

"Yes" she smiled and rolled off him, pulling him gently so he lay on top of her, she closed her arms around his back, pulling him down further, as he wrapped his own arms under her. "Yes I do."


	3. In Mexico 3

Gibbs was stood on the deck of the Shannon, securing the sea locker for its mooring. He looked up to see Kim running down the beach, waving. He waved back, and she dived into the sea, swimming out towards the boat, when she got to the aft, he helped her haul herself up and onto the deck.

"You OK?" he asked

"You left me sleeping?" she accused when he shrugged she continued "Do you ever sleep?"

He laughed and kissed her "Mike's gone to the Canteener, Leyla has taken Amira to a friend" he told her gauging her reaction. She thought for a moment, still held in his grasp, then she gasped and looked up.

"Because of last night? Were we that noisy?" She looked horrified

"Thin walls" he laughed "You are beautiful" he whispered kissing her again.

"Don't" she told him, he looked surprise but dropped his hands and stepped away from her. "Sorry" she looked down.

"Don't say sorry, is something wrong?"

"You'll get me pregnant" she told him, her eyes filling.

He didn't know what to say, he looked down at her, sighed and wrapped her into his arms. He sat down on the port side bench and sat her on his lap. "When I said I'd keep you safe, I meant it, when I told you I wouldn't do anything you didn't want, I meant it." He kissed her temple "you can trust me".

"But" she started to sob

"Tell me"

"Before he brought Marianne to the basement, there was just me, he came daily." She felt vomit rise in her throat but choked it down "mostly on his own, but sometimes he would come with others. I thought they had damaged me, I thought because what they did, together, hurt so much they must have broken me." She gripped his arm.

"But you were pregnant?"

"Michael realised when I got fat, he was angry at first, it was my fault." He gripped her tightly encouraging her to continue "I was stupid I asked for things for the baby, I didn't realise he wouldn't let me keep it. He punched me, a lot, and I thought I was dying. The baby died."

"I'm sorry" Gibbs sympathised

"Would your team have found his body?" She asked

Gibbs closed his eyes, he hadn't understood till then. "Possibly"

She nodded "If they do?"

"You'll know the moment I do."

"He started making me drink this stuff, and it never happened again" she shuddered "The lady at Norfolk, she said I was healthy though, so…"

Gibbs smiled, and then kissed her "That I know" he squeezed her again "I've kept you safe till now, when did you stop trusting me?"

"You kept me safe?"

"Jeez Kim"

"Sorry" she shuddered "I'm so sorry"

"Stop apologising, ask me the damn questions".

"Contraception doesn't always work" she blurted out, then giggled and covered her mouth.

"No" he smiled

"And we aren't married" she told him.

"Kim" he stroked her hair "we've known each other for 2 weeks"

"I know, I wasn't asking" she said quickly.

"Are you trying to ask what happens if we make a mistake?"

"Yes" she nodded sadly.

"That depends on you, you wouldn't be on your own though" After Shannon his other lovers had been mature women, this conversation highlighted Kim's practical innocence, and a moment of guilt passed through him. "Do you want to stop? I could find you somewhere safe to go?"

She looked scared "No, please let me stay with you."

"OK, but we don't have to…"

"No, it's not that, I like you, I really do."

"Then, you have to tell me what's scaring you?"

"Don't reject me" she sobbed "I don't know what I'd do if you rejected me"

"Look Kim, I told you last night, you can tell me anything, you can ask me anything, and if you say no, it will always mean no. I don't think you have anything to worry about, but I understand you're scared."

"You won't let me be alone?"

"Never"

She kissed him and relaxed into his arms as he kissed her back "I do like this" she told him.

"I'm glad" He laid her on the deck, removing her wet shorts and shirt, resting her head carefully in his arms.

"Jethro?" she looked up at him as he removed his weight from her and found a condom from the sail bag beside them.

"I promised, and I'm a man of my word" he told her kissing her, and settling back against her.


	4. Returning to the bull pen

The first Monday back after Mexico, Gibbs was surprised to enter the office and find Tony already at his desk. He smiled, and covered his shock a long flight followed by making Kim comfortable in his house had clearly taken a temporary toll on his omnipresence.

"Hey boss, how was Mexico?" Tony asked

Gibbs gave him a look that could curdle milk.

"Apart from, well, anyway welcome back"

"We got a case DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked gesturing to the three large files on the younger agent's desk.

"Er no, just erm, just finishing up these"

Gibbs nodded and realised they were the three cases linked by Kim. Gibbs put his gun away in its draw, and picked up his coffee. "I'm going to see Vance" he told Tony walking past his desk.

"Er boss?"

"What is it DiNozzo?"

Tony absentmindedly fingered the files "Your friend" he paused "from the basement?"

"Kim" Gibbs threw his hands out and gave him an infuriated look "What?"

"Do you have a phone number for her, or an address where she can be reached?" Tony asked "it's just I want to send this lot down for prosecution, but I have no contact details for her?"

Gibbs sighed theatrically and grabbing a piece of paper of Tony's desk scribbled on it, passing it to the younger man, "there" he said stalking off.

Tony read the address and then looked up, "boss?" he called as Gibbs started to climb the stairs.

"DiNozzo!"

"Boss, this is your address?"

Gibbs shook his head in disbelieve and continued up the stairs.

"Oh right" DiNozzo read the address again, and whispered to himself. Turning round he opened the files and started copying the details into the file.

On entering Vance's office Gibbs immeaditely checked they were alone, he wasn't stupid enough to believe Vance didn't have some kind of recording device in his office, but that didn't bother him. Idle gossip could become a problem.

"Gibbs, did you have a good holiday?" Vance asked

Gibbs came and stood in front of him "I want Kim treated as a Special Victim" he told the director.

"I've already spoken to your ex-wife regarding this" Vance told him, "she's expecting your call."

Gibbs looked surprise, jet lag he thought, or old age, "Ginger was willing to help?" he asked

"I explained the situation" Vance told him "where is Miss O'Rourke now?"

"At my house"

It was Vance's turn to look surprised "Tell me you haven't married her?"

Gibbs laughed "She has nowhere else to go"

"But she could go anywhere" Vance reminded him "I assume then you are intending this to be a permanent situation"

Gibbs laughed and turned to the wall "I don't know Leon, I've known her for a couple of weeks"

"So you haven't actually thought this out then?" He was amused to see the unflappable Gibbs at a loss, "I'll class her as dependent in your record, while you both work it out"

"Thank you Leon" Gibbs turned to leave

"She'll have a hard time adjusting" Vance told him "she'll need to talk to someone"

"Working on it Leon"

"A professional!" Vance warned, but Gibbs had already left the room.


	5. Memory part 1

The pain of loss was tangible, when he woke, he could feel it, pressing deep inside his chest. His heart literally breaking. Jethro Gibb's gasped with the pain of it, he reached out and felt the hair of his wife spread on the pillow. She was sleeping soundly, and for a moment he was confused.

"Shan?" he asked out loud.

"No you bastard" the woman beside him complained "I'm your current wife"

Gibb's swore under his breath "Stephanie, Stephanie I didn't mean it"

"You never do Jethro."


	6. LA to DC

Running heavily, pounding the pavement the man ran. He had to get away there was only one place he could go now, and it was a long way from here. Every safe house he'd tried had been breached, every alias found, every double back had only brought his pursuers closer, till now he ran in desperation.

Even with his cardio vascular at the top of its ability, he was losing out, they had numbers, and resources on their side. He had an address, and a single chance to get there. The car pulled out of the side street and he leapt at it, the passenger door opened and he leapt inside. He didn't really trust the girl in the driver's seat, but at this moment it was all he had. So G Callen at back in his seat, and for the first time in weeks, breathed out.

X

Gibb's came home from a particularly tiring case, he dropped rather than parked the Sedan in front of the house, before noticing the truck was missing. For a few moments he considered parking neatly and letting, her park beside him. Then he looked at his muddy torn shirt, the blood spatters on his jacket and the torn trousers. "Nah" he thought, turning off the car and stalked towards the house.

Something was off, despite no truck outside the lights in the house were off. If they were both out they left the lights on. It was possibly a power-cut, but then Gibb's hadn't lived this long by taking chances. He walked to the house, weapon drawn, on finding the front door unlocked, he hid the weapon and walked in normally.

Sitting in the dark of the living room was a silhouette, beside the fireplace. Gibb's scoffed, and turned the light on.

"Callen?" Gibb's asked irritated

"_I need your help Gibb's" _Callen stated in Russian

Outside traffic on the street continued, flashing headlights across Callen's face. Despite the gloom and the odd shadows, Gibb's could see the younger mans battered and bruised face.

_"Are you undercover?" _Gibb's asked, then laughed _"Of course you are, what do you need?"_

_"Somewhere to stay" _Callen answered cagily, "_I'm curious Gibb's, why did you put your gun away, when you knew there was someone in the house?"_

_"Because 6 months ago he nearly shot me in similar circumstances" _Kim, Gibb's current lover informed him in flawless Russian, as she pushed open the door and looked at the two men in the living room "_We have a guest Jethro?"_

_"You nearly shot your girlfriend?" _Callen asked, then looking up at the girl sucked through his teeth "_that's harsh even for you."_

_"You are not Russian?"_ Kim asked

"He's NCIS" Gibb's told her switching back into English flawlessly. "You think my house is bugged?" he asked Callen

"No" The undercover agent admitted "But old times" he shrugged

"I'm Kim" she introduced herself figuring that Gibb's never would.

_"Your Russian is very good" _Callen told her.

"She knows, that's why she nearly got shot." Gibb's snapped "Do you have homework to do?" He asked Kim, leaving no room for misunderstanding. She gave a nasty look to both men and stalked off.

"Bit young for your tastes Gibbs?" Callen teased and received a Gibb's half smile "She didn't go to college?" He referred to the books and papers she was carrying.

"Never went to High School" Gibb's told him, then shrugged. _"What's your problem Callen?"_


	7. Death in Moscow part 1

Watching the watchers was what Gibbs was doing. His Moscow mission had been going on for 5 months and he had sat and watched while younger men performed the role NIS and Mike Franks had trained him for. It grated, and recently Stephanie grated. Mrs Gibbs the fourth was rapidly heading towards becoming the Ex-Mrs Gibbs Number three. That morning she'd hit him with a coffee jug, under his unnaturally longer hair tiny fractures of glass till dug into his skin.

The young Agent in the building opposite Gibbs, was nervous his eyes were darting, even as his face remained passive. Gibbs felt the man looked too young for this operation, he must have been about 25 playing a drug lord ten years his senior, and Gibbs was closer to the marks age. A car on the far end of the street started suddenly, and both men suddenly looked across, the car was wheel spinning down the crowded Russian street. It accelerated towards the two buildings and started swerving, it hit the first car and jolted sharply across the road hitting the next, and then another. Something was very wrong.

The woman on the bed behind Gibbs stirred at the sound of the car crash. He'd already turned to run down to the street. He opened his mouth to tell the girl to stay where she was, when he saw the gun.

"Natasha?" he asked in English, the girl worked at the American embassy and she and Gibbs had been sleeping together for nearly a month.

"I'm sorry Agent Gibbs but I cannot allow you to leave" she told him.

His face registered shock than resignation, she shouldn't have known his real name, and he'd never told her. He was angry with himself for falling for a simple honey trap. "Are you going to shoot me?"

"_Yes" _she told him, reverting back into her native Russian, "_Eventually, but I need you to be found dead long after your colleague, otherwise my cover will be blown."_ She laughed.

_"I thought it was curious you couldn't speak a word of Russian" _Gibbs told her stepping towards her and slumping onto the bed.

"_I thought you were dense not to realise" _She told him.

He shifted closer to her "_Since we have some time" _he whispered seductively.

"_You Americans" _She pulled closer to him "_You don't care you have a wife at home_"

Gibbs smiled and kissed the girl, slipping his hands down her back, he pushed her roughly down onto the bed. As she writhed under him, he took her gun and shot her twice in the head.


	8. Pulling the gun

_(Directly after the events of my story Grace)_

Gibbs stood in his living room weapon drawn pointing at the terrified girl sitting on the sofa.

"Gibbs?" she questioned "What the hell is wrong?"

"Who are you?" then he repeated in Russian "_Who are you?"_

"Jethro, you know who I am? Please put the gun away"

"You didn't know 9/11, you can't understand fractions, and you claim your last formal education was 16 years ago, yet you speak fluent Russian. IN YOUR SLEEP!"

Her eyes fixed on the gun "are you going to shoot me?"

"If you give me cause"

"I'm not armed"

"Didn't stop you killing Private Morten?"

"Gibbs please, I don't know what you want from me."

"Who's Natasha?"

"You know who Natasha was, she was my friend and I had to carry her body out of a filthy basement after Michael O'Rourke murdered her" she started to sob.

"She taught you Russian?" Gibbs lowered his gun slightly

"So Michael couldn't understand what we said, he'd taken Natasha off the street, she had been a Student at Georgetown, but she was from St Petersburg originally. "

"You didn't say anything?"

"And you are always so honest and open with me" she stood up and faced him, and he dropped the gun back into its holster. "_You're a bastard" _She spat in Russian, pushing past him towards the hallway.

"Where are you going?" he shouted at her retreating back.

"I'm leaving"

"You've got nowhere to go!"

"_Iя ЗНАЮ!"_

Gibbs watched Kim storm into the hallway and up the stairs, he closed his eyes and for a moment thought on Jenny, on Hollis, on Stephanie and Ginger on Diane and every other woman who'd walked out like this. No not like this, they'd walked out because he was a heartless bastard, a cheat, a liar, he was not going to let Kim walk out because he nearly shot her. Putting his gun safely into its locked case, he turned towards the hallway. "KIM" he shouted

She was standing on the turn of the stairs, struggling to control her breathing, grasping and ungrasping her fists., He bolted up the first set of steps to her. "Go to hell". She whispered.

Gibbs grabbed her wrist, twisted her round and pushed her into the wall. Her eyes widened, his adrenaline was pumping and he was aroused, he watched the light spark in her eyes, then die as she went limp expecting to be hurt. "Kim" he whispered then kissed her hard, pressing his body into hers.

She looked into his eyes, something she couldn't, wouldn't, and wasn't allowed to do with Michael. Gibbs kiss was softer, he called her name, and he met her gaze. He quirked his eye slightly, suddenly this wasn't threatening, it was game, if she said no, if she remained limp he'd let her go, take a cold shower, sand some wood and in the morning she'd be gone and he'd be alone again. "Gibbs" she swallowed hard then attacked his mouth with her own.

Their teeth clashed, he pulled her hair and she ripped at his already torn shirt. He ran his hands down her back to her bum pulling her closer, she was wearing a long loose dress and Gibbs pulled it up and over her head. As she pulled his shirt from his back, he nuzzled her cleavage leaving tiny bites across her pale skin. They crashed down onto the steps, as Gibbs removed his belt and she shrieked in pain and surprise. Her back arched on the sharp step edges pushing her breasts up into his face.

His weight crushed her, and she could feel the muscles in his chest as he held her down, her breathing had to remain shallow and every breath brought the smell of him. She didn't ask about work, letting him tell her if he needed too, but she could tell he'd shot someone today. The smell of blood and gunshot residue was interlaced with coffee and sawdust. She wondered what had caused him to distrust her so totally, then as her mind wandered she realised he'd finished undressing and her mind went blank.


	9. Staying overnight in DC

"You shot her because of Moscow?" Callen asked Gibbs while taking a swig from a beer bottle. He was sitting on Gibbs tool chest in the basement, while Gibbs worked on his latest project.

"I didn't actually shoot her" Gibbs clarified.

Callen nodded "That's a yes" Gibbs smiled and continued to sand, "what's the story then? Why don't you trust her?"

"Who says I don't trust her?"

"You tried to shoot her?"

"I trust you" Gibbs said quietly, leaving the rest of the sentence hanging.

For a few moments both men were silent for a moment before soft padding feet announced Kim walking down into the basement. She was bare foot in pyjama bottoms and a black vest top. "I've made up the sofa bed for Mr Callen" she told them getting to the bottom of the steps.

"It's G, please" Callen told her smiling. She smiled back and then turned to Gibbs, she stood on tip toes to kiss him on this lips, exposing both her lower back, and shoulders to Callen's gaze. "Wow" he said involuntarily.

The lovers turned to look at him, Kim shocked and confused, Gibbs with a look that said "make your own deductions."

"I have to be work early tomorrow, Bunny and I are stocktaking" Kim told Gibbs "So I'm going to bed, now." She kissed him again, "I don't suppose there is any point in telling you not to stay up too long?"

"Nope" Gibbs told her, he smiled, and kissed the top of her head.

"Goodnight G" Kim said on turning, "If you do, sleep well"

As she turned Gibbs saw her back as Callen had, the white puckered scar tissue, the deep slices and burns, the clearly readable name and profanity. He shook his head "Kim?" he asked, stepping forward he planted a final kiss on her head, "Sleep well."

They both watched her walk up the stairs and carefully close the basement door behind her. "Gang related?" Callen asked quietly.

"Her stepfather" Gibbs looked at him, "kept her in a basement for 15 years"

"You arrested him?" Callen asked genuinely interested.

"He's dead" Gibbs turned back to his work bench, "I had nothing to do with it." They fell quiet again until Gibbs looked up. "I've known her for a year, she's been a suspect in 3 homicides" Callen looked up from his beer surprised and Gibbs laughed "she only killed one of them."

"Her Step-father?"

"Actually an assassin sent to kill me" he swallowed his beer "her Mom killed her Stepfather".

Callen let that sink in, "She speaks Russian and can take out an Assassin, I understand, after Moscow I'd have probably shot her."

Callen woke on Gibbs sofa, light filled the far end of the living room, as the windows in the kitchen and hallway shone with dawn sunlight. His hand went to the Sig under the pillow, unaware for a moment what had woken him. He carefully judged the room, and saw her standing in the shadow besides the fireplace.

"You're going to have to do better than that to emulate Gibbs" He told her sitting upright.

"I've not been practicing as long as him" Kim laughed and stepped into the light "you can put the gun back, I just wanted to ask you something."

"Go ahead"

"I need to know what happened in Moscow" she told him, sitting on the easy chair beside the sofa.

"Have you asked Gibbs?" she quirked her head, and gave him a withering look, "fair enough" he laughed "what makes you think I know anything about it?"

"You are NCIS, you speak Russian, and you are currently undercover" she rattled off, "and I overheard you talking last night."

"Maybe you are learning from Gibbs"

"Please" she rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands "I nearly died for this, I need to know."

"It's an operation that went wrong" he shrugged "it went badly wrong".


	10. Death in Moscow Part 2

When Gibbs entered the room across the street, he realised he was too late, the younger agent lay dead in the idle of the room. His throat had been slit and the room was covered in blood. He heard the tread on the stair a fraction too late and turned gun drawn as the young man was already through the door his own gun drawn.

_"Who are you?" _The young man asked

_"You first?" _Gibbs replied.

"You didn't do this?" the man told Gibbs in English, before quickly returning to Russian _"I know who you are"_

Gibbs didn't register any reaction, he raised his gun and shot the man in the shoulder. "Tell me who you are" he stood over the man.

"Callen, CIA"

Gibbs deposited the CIA agent on the spare bed, he closed the curtains and started dressing the wound.

"This the wife's house?" Callen asked him

"Yeah" Gibbs gritted his teeth, he'd been stupid, he'd been careless, and it was Stephanie's fault.

"What happened to the Consulate girl?" Callen asked

"I shot her"

"Must have been your day for it" Callen quipped, then looked at him "You didn't know she was a spy?"

"NO!" Gibbs snapped

"Yeah, didn't figure in with what we knew about you. Stress of your wife's miscarriage, made you…"

"Do you know everything about me, kid?" Gibbs snapped again.

"What I need to, your mission has been compromised"

"You think?" Gibbs kicked the door.

"Not by you, Natasha, she was good, clearly but she got nothing from you, it was your other agent."

"Bullen?" Gibbs thought back to the young agent, the bloody mess on the apartment walls, he thought for a moment then breathed out "Probie mistake", then he laughed "Christine Keeler".

"CIA, think you need to get out of Moscow"

"I need to get out of my marriage" Gibbs grimaced.


	11. The morning after (pulling the gun)

Kim lay bruised and sore in Gibbs arms, naked and laying exhausted on his bed. She curled a hand over his chest a he ran a gentle hand through her hair. "You OK?" he whispered planting a kiss on her head.

"Of course" she smiled nuzzling into his chest "are you?"

"My knees and back hurt" he admitted "I'm getting to old for this" he smiled.

"I think you ambushed me" she scolded lightly "Do you trust me again?"

Gibbs swallowed and closed his eyes, the fight had been enjoyable but he had no desire to return to it yet, "you trust me" he told her, "despite it all, that wasn't resignation, you enjoyed that, and you trusted me not to hurt you."

"Much" she added and she kissed his bloody scratched shoulder. "So you don't think I'm some Russian Agent 13, seducing you, lulling you into a false sense of security, only to betray you?"

"You'd have to be a bloody good actress to fake that" his mind wandered back to Moscow, "I know now when someone is acting"

"Was this a test?" she asked

"An enjoyable one" he kissed her lips and brought her up so she straddled him.

They stared into one another's eyes for a few moments, until Gibbs smiled widely and Kim burst out laughing.

Tony walked into the office early surprised to find Kim sitting at his desk, they'd been out chasing down a suspect most of the day. Ziva and Gibbs had taken the suspect to interrogation, while McGee and Abby sorted through the evidence in her lab.

"Are you waiting for the boss?" he asked her.

"No, is he back?"

"Yeah, just now" he looked confused, and tried desperately not to notice the bite marks on her neck and light bruises on her arms, "Are you waiting for McGee?"

"No!" she smiled "I'm waiting for you"

"Why?"

"I got a surprise day of work"

"Huh?"

"Someone dropped a bug bomb in the aisle and they sent me went home till it was sorted"

"You work in a book store?"

"Yeah" She waved it away "Tony I need your help"

"Look, if you and the boss…."

"With my homework"

"Your?"

"I'm trying to get my high school diploma"

"OK"

"I'm currently heading for a 4.0, IF, I can ace this class, and for that Tony I need you"

"Which class?"

"American History"

Tony groaned "Fine" he pulled over McGee's chair and grabbed her essay and a pen, "4.0? You trying to get into College?"

"Of course"

"Have you told Gibbs?"

"Have you told Gibbs what DiNozzo?" Gibbs shouted walking in from the elevators, he did a small double take when he saw Kim.

"Are you OK?" he asked his voice serious, and he ignored Tony.

"Yes, I got sent home from work, so I thought I'd get Tony to…"

"What!"

"Help her with her homework boss, there's nothing wrong" Tony diffused sensing his boss's mood.

"You should have asked me!"

Gibbs escorted Kim out to the car park, and walked her to the truck. "After last night, you turned up here?" he asked her incredulously

"I got sent home from work, and I knew Tony could help with my paper" she pleaded ""I didn't think."

"No, you never do"

"That's unfair Gibbs, I do nothing but think….." she stopped looked at his angry face and giggled "Rule 18"

He smiled "You're quoting my rules again"

"I need to get a 4.0" she stated simply

"You want to go to college?" He ran his hand through his short hair, "that's what you haven't told me, you're going to college?"

"Only if I get the grades" she nodded

"Why didn't you tell me?" He cocked his head "Did you think I'd be upset" he thought for a moment "or are you really leaving?"

"Gibbs if you want me to leave I will go, but that wasn't my plan" she hopped onto the bonnet of the truck, so she was at his eye height, "I know you're not in this for the long haul, and I'm fine with that, I'm grateful for you taking me in, but I need to regain my life I want an education go to college find a profession."

"The long haul?" Gibbs asked

"I'm fine with that, honestly" she smiled widely, then slowly frowned as she looked at his bewildered face. "It's fine"

"You're building an escape plan, for the day I find someone else?"

"Of course" she stroked his hair "It seemed sensible, you don't love me, you've been married 4 times, we have a best by date."

"They left me" he told her "In their own ways, they all left me. And you know what? I let them, and the only one I've ever stopped?" he grabbed her wrist "Is you!"

"Jethro" she whispered "I like you, I probably like you more than I should, but you can't feel the same about me, and I'm resigned to that."

"Doesn't mean I'm looking for another girl"

"Doesn't it?"

"Are you looking for another guy?"

"No!"

"You looked at any Colleges yet?"

"No?"

"Do you want me to come with you when you do?"

She giggled and rested her forehead on his chest "Would you?"

He kissed her forehead.


	12. Death in Moscow Part 3

Gibbs begrudgingly handed over his files to Callen, the younger man at least had the sense to not look smug as once again the CIA took over an NIS operation.

"Your too good for the CIA" Gibbs laughed sitting comfortably s Callen swept his hand round the edges of each of the files looking for a double cross.

"You think?" Callen smirked

"Ever thought of working freelance?"

"You offering me a job?" Callen quirked hi eyebrow, wondering if the older man was a double agent.

"No, but I imagine you could work for any agency, and the CIA, there not known for protecting their own."

"What makes you work for the Navy? Can't be Marine Corps loyalty? Tiny Alphabet agency, ending you on undercover missions all over the world tiny teams little back up? You could break out on your own as well, there some discussion you may have already."

"You think if I was running European Espionage for myself I'd live like I do?" Gibbs laughed. Callen continued to check the files, Gibbs grabbed a scrap of paper and wrote the number of the San Diego Office on it. "You may one day find, Callen, that a tiny alphabet agency is better for you."

Callen looked him in the eye "Seriously?"

Gibbs just smiled.


	13. Staying overnight in DC Part 2

"I thought you were going to work early?" Gibbs asked Kim walking into the kitchen and finding Callen sat at the counter, and Kim making him breakfast.

"It's 6am" she told him, "600 hours, this is early"

Gibbs gave her a look that contradicted her previous statement.

"G likes my cooking" she told him "I got a little excited"

"It's good" Callen told him his mouth full.

"You need to come to the Navy Yard" Gibbs told Callen, "and you need to go to work" he told Kim.

She huffed slightly, kissed him gently on the lips, and grabbing her bag left without a word. Gibbs stood silently for a few moments listening to the truck start and rev up. When he heard it pull away he turned to Callen.

"We'll contact your team via MTAC, explain why you dropped off the radar, and try and get your op back on track" Gibbs told the younger man.

"Fine" Callen told him wiping his mouth, "She's a nice girl" he added.

"Yep" Gibbs agreed taking a swig of coffee, "You tell her about Moscow?"

"What I knew" Callen shrugged "Thanks for this Gibbs, I know you've got my back."

"I know you've got mine."

Callen had only been to the Navy Yard once, it wasn't as homey as NCIS LA and he was suddenly homesick for Sam and the team. Gibbs ignored his team and took the other agent straight through to MTAC.

"Who is that?" Ned Dornigan asked, popping his head around the booth walls.

"None of your business Dorni" DiNozzo told him sharply.

"His name is Callen, he is an NCIS agent from Los Angeles" Ziva told the young man

"He and Gibbs look close" Dornigan pushed

"They are" McGee interjected "I think he's one of the few people outside this building Gibbs trusts."

"Wow" Dornigan whistled

"Go away Dorni" DiNozzo pushed him sharply

"Wha?" Ziva asked him

"Shh spare probie" DiNozzo whispered taking her hand and pulling her towards the stairs, collecting McGee en route "There is mischief afoot, and we should be in at the ground level."

Gibbs stood beside Callen in MTAC, while the younger man and Sam Hanna caught up.

"Now Callen, will you tell us what is going on?" Henrietta Lange interrupted the two friends.

"My cover was blown"

"So why didn't you come back here?"

"The leak, it must have been in house". The others were silent "They knew too much , they knew everything, and they passed it on to the mark."

"Did you know you had a mole?" Gibbs asked the older woman, glaring her down on the screen.

"There have been some, incidents" Hetty told him, "but we are a small team Agent Gibbs, a leak of this kind would be devastating."

"Who were you tracking?" Gibbs asked

"Small time Russian Arms dealer" Callen told him "I was a runner, between him and a militia group based out of San Diego, if it had worked, we'd have got him, and the Militia leaders."

Gibbs laughed "How do you know the cover go blown"

"Received a wreath" Callen shrugged

"This arms dealer, where is he now?" Gibbs asked

"Out the country, Moscow" Sam interrupted

Gibbs shivered involuntarily.


	14. Self Defense Part 1

3 weeks after they'd returned from Mexico, Gibbs came home at 5 on a Friday evening, with no ongoing cases, and not being the team manning the tip line, a long weekend stretched in front of him. Opening the front door he was nearly balled over by the enthusiastic hug he received.

"Gibbs!" Kim squealed "You came home early?"

He kissed her and pushed her slightly away "have you by any chance missed me?"

"Yeah" she attempted to snuggle into him again, but he walked firmly away, he walked to the gun case and put away his Sig. She watched him from the doorway, "do you have to go to work tomorrow?" she asked

"Nope" he smiled "Weekend off"

"Are you going to start another project? Now you've finished my steps?" She asked waiting for him to take his coat and jacket off so she could hug him again.

"Actually I have something else on my mind" he turned and gave her a dirty look which made her giggle. He hung his coat on the pegs by the door and then gestured she could come closer, as she reached out for him, he closed a set of handcuffs onto her thin wrist, twisting her arm behind her, with one leg between hers he clamped her other wrist as well. She fought for a brief moment, till he put his head close to her ear, he kissed her neck just behind her carotid artery, where he could see her pulse thumping hard. "Remember you're safe" he whispered, feeling her relax he picked her up and fireman lifted her over his shoulder.

"Gibbs!" she kicked gently, as he walked to the steps, and shifting her slightly, started carrying her up them, "Jethro!" she tried as he carried her through the hallway and towards his bedroom. He didn't say a word as he deposited her on the bed, laying her on her front, ensuring she could breathe. He changed from formal trousers and shirt, to a loose chequered shirt and jeans, while on the bed she wriggled from her front, to her side using her legs, she twisted around till she faced him. "Am I going to have to stay like this all weekend?" she asked, finally making him turn to her.

"Well lesson one, you can pick yourself up and move around whilst in handcuffs" with his arms crossed comfortably he stood and watched her struggle so she sat up, "can you stand?" he asked. She shuffled to the edge of the bed, on unsteady legs pushed herself of the edge of the bed and arching her back for stability stood and faced him.

"Why?" she asked.

"I promised to keep you safe, the best way to do that is to ensure you can look after yourself" he told her "Do you know how to pick a set of handcuffs?" he asked her.

"I've seen it in films?" she told him "Can it be done?"

"Sadly, it's easy" he laughed "Maybe it's a good thing?"

He showed her how to twist a bobby pin into an S shape, and demonstrated how to pick the lock on his spare cuffs, then he handed another straight pin and asked her to do the same. "With my hands tied behind my back?" she asked.

"Well yes, there's very little point in learning to do it when they are on a desk is there?" He snarked. He sat and watched her struggle for a while, before stopping her "concentrate on the left hand cuff" he told her, she looked confused "you're right handed, so it will be easier to manipulate the left hand cuff, once that's open your hands are both free, and you can get rid of the right hand cuff later. After several minutes of concentrated wriggling there was a snap and the lock opened.

"Do you teach your agents this?" she asked him, stretching her arms out for the first time in about an hour.

"I hope they already have these skills when they come to me" he told her, "I taught Abby" he thought for a moment "I taught Shannon".

She nodded, and the made small yelp of triumph as the second cuff opened. She looked up at his amused smile "Do I get a reward?" she watched him for a moment, "you're going to cuff me again aren't you?"

He suddenly grabbed her, and planted a kiss on her forehead "Fight me off" he told her.

"What?"

"You know what I'm trying to do" she told her gesturing at the handcuffs, "You know how I did it before" he stepped back, giving her room to assess him, "try and stop me"

"Wait, Gibbs" she put her hands out to stop him "how?"

"Fight me" he told her, "I'll teach you how later, but I want to see what your instincts tell you".

The first time, Gibbs stepped forward, picked her up, through her on the bed, knelt behind her and cuffed her. The moment he laid his hands on her she'd gone completely limp, she didn't try and resist at all, just let him throw her down like a rag doll. He immediately opened the cuffs and pulled her into a loose embrace. "Gibbs" she sobbed.

"Yeah I didn't think about that did I?" he kissed her, and let her relax into his arms. "You have to learn to fight back" he told her.

"You'll hurt me" she told him, her eyes wide.

"No" he kissed her, "I won't" he stroked her hair, "trust me, I won't hurt you" He stood her up and faced her away from him "what went through your mind when I grabbed you" he asked, wrapping a gentle hand around her.

"I forced myself to go limp" she told him "It's easier that way, not to fight, not to cry, just to let it happen"

"Kim, I'm not him, I'm not going to hurt you, remember what I told you"

"I can always say no" she parroted

"Good girl" he kissed her "I'm not doing this to hurt you, or scare you, or force you to do something. We're here in the bedroom because it's spacious with a soft landing if necessary, do you understand?"

"Yes"

"Good" he kissed her neck again, letting her butterfly heart slow, "I'm going to put my arm around your neck, and tell you how to fight me off, it's not real, and I really won't hurt you" he told her placing her in a choke hold. She immediately went limp again, "no, listen to me" he told her sternly "it's me, and I won't hurt you, put your hands on my arm where it's holding you" she placed her hands slowly on his arm, "no underneath" she did that "now push up and away". She did so weakly at first it didn't have much effect on him, then he squeezed her slightly harder and her brain stepped out and adrenaline kicked in. She pushed up and away, digging her nails in, and the same time she stepped down hard on his foot where he held her. He was slightly shocked and loosened his grip at which point she kicked backwards into his knee and he dropped her completely.

She turned and looked at where he was sat on the bed "Oh God, did I hurt you?" she asked suddenly

He laughed, "No" he rubbed his knee, it would bruise but not badly "that was better than I was expecting, something come back from your Dad's films?"

"I think it was probably James Bond" she told him, sitting on the bed next to him.

"You did better than my friend Tobias" Gibbs told her.

"Really?"

"Yep, and he's an FBI agent".

She laughed and he kissed her "I'm not sure I like this" she told him.

"I need to know you can defend yourself" he looked at her seriously.

"Well, you know you did mention rewards" she told him

"We don't go in much for rewards in the corps" he whispered, kissing her again more urgently.

"Yeah, well at St Clodagh's we learnt a lot about rewards" she kissed him back, pushing him down on to the bed. "Sister Collette, said that all good deeds illicit rewards" she took off her top, and sat astride him, starting to undo his buttons "I suggested you plunder that Marine brain of yours for suitable rewards, whenever I do good."

"I'm not sure Sister Collette would approve" he told her, kissing her then pulling her down below him.

"Oh I don't know she liked that Andrews sisters song" she told him, giggling as he kissed the hollow of her throat.

He removed the rest of his shirt and through it on the floor, "Andrews sisters, what is it with girls thinking I know about The Andrews Sisters?"

He sat back on his heels, and she reached for his belt, "There were three little sisters, three little sisters, and each one barely in her teens" she sang, "one girl loved a soldier, one loved a sailor, and one loved a United States Marine".

He caught her lips with his and then reached forward yanking off her T-shirt bra. "Oorah" he whispered.

An hour later in wreck that had been Gibbs impeccable bedroom, Kim lay tucked into Gibbs side. "You know what we were saying about rewards?" she asked him.

"Hmm?"

"It should work both ways"

He laughed "yeah I think you've got that covered" he told her, kissing her shoulder where it was turned against him...

"No I mean, when you do something good, I'll reward you" she smiled "I've been thinking of what I could do for you….if…..you do something good for me"

He gave a short laugh "What do you want?" he asked cuddling her closer.

"Dinner" she sat up, "I want you to take me to dinner"

"OK" he looked confused, "now?"

"Yes" she said firmly, "I would like to go to dinner with you"

"Do you have anywhere in mind?"

"No" her eyes were shining with excitement, "I've never been out to dinner with a man, we've never been out to dinner, you don't have to go to work in the morning, please?"

He laughed "Have you been watching TV again?" Then looking at her face fall slightly "Come on then, put something nice on."

"What really?" she thought for a moment "I don't know what you mean by nice?"

"Well something that I will enjoy taking off" he growled.


	15. Date Night

They took a cab into the city, and then walked to the Italian Restaurant near the Navy Yard the MCRT liked to use. Gibbs wore a casual fawn suit, while Kim had warn the only dress she owned. It was black and mid length, on any other girl it would have been smart casual, something you'd wear to visit a friend, for Kim it could have been Chanel. Gibbs gave her his arm as they walked, and in the cool autumn air he felt quite contented. "Have you ever been on a date?" he asked her, normally she would ask questions so she was quite taken a back when he started the conversation.

"No" she said

"Not even when you were a kid in Ireland? No local boy took you to the cinema?" He asked genuinely shocked, even Kelly had been asked to the Park and the Fair by the little boys in her class.

She laughed "The closest Cinema was in the main town, and it only opened 3 days a week. It would show 1 film at a time, twice a day. 4pm and then again at 6.30, depending on the length of the film." She smiled "It smelt weird and it was really smoky. Dad took me twice, once to see "All Good Dogs Go to Heaven" and once to see "The Secret Garden". We went with four other families, and Dad hired a minibus to take us."

Gibbs nodded, she'd explained before that Ireland in the 80's and 90's was like the US in the 50's. When they got the restaurant, Gibbs greeted the owner, and they gave them a table outside looking over the River. With the chill air nobody else was sitting outside, but neither Kim not Gibbs was bothered. The waiter came and took their drink order, and left them with menus.

Kim read hers intently, when she looked up she blushed horrendously "I'm sorry, I have no idea what any of this is?" she told him "What will I like?"

"For tonight" he smiled at her worried face "I'll order for you"

"Thank you" she smirked "what a gentleman".

"You said you and your Dad watched films together?" he asked suddenly "Old Westerns?"

"Yeah, sometimes on TV mostly in the afternoons"

"Mostly?"

She laughed "There was man who came round, he hired videos out from the back of his car, he used to smoke green and his car always smelt herby and nice" Gibbs quirked his eyebrow, but her mind was off somewhere a lifetime before. "The problem was that nobody had a Video Player, we only had a TV 'cos my Granny McGee left us hers when she died."

"So how did you watch them?"

"St Clodaghs had one, it had been bought with a massive TV by one of the Governors" she demonstrated massive by throwing her hands out wither side of her. "We used to hire a video on a Friday Night, after the pubs closed, and then on Saturday morning the school hall would be full of Dad's and kids all waiting in turn to watch them".

Gibbs laughed "you're kidding me? How old are you again?" he shook his head "Sounds like Stillwater in the 70's".

"Hey, I watched the greatest films like that! Star Wars, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, Sands of Iwo Jima, The Searchers, OH, Rio Bravo"

Gibbs ordered her Pasta Primavera and watched while she destroyed the plate in minutes. He'd made sure there was food in the house at all times, let her know she could cook and eat anything she wanted, but he had noticed she preferred to have permission to eat. Gibbs sipped is bourbon and picked at his own meal, his eyes darting always watching the others around them. After a while he looked down at her again.

"Did you want a drink?" he asked

"I have one?" she reminded him, gesturing at her sparkling water.

"No, I mean, a drink, drink?" he looked at her, weighing up what she was thinking, "A glass of wine?"

"Do you want me drunk?" she asked him.

"I wasn't suggesting that no" he told her, never breaking eye contact, "you never drink, is that because you don't know what to order, or you're scared of getting drunk?"

"Bit of both" she quirked her eyebrow and started to laugh.

"You remember you're safe, if you wanted to experiment, I'd look after you?"

"I know" she shrugged "I'm struggling somewhat Gibbs" she admitted.

"Struggling?"

"I'm nearly 30, I've been on a date, I've never been to High School, I've never driven a car, been to a proper cinema, never had a job" she looked up "I don't have friends, never been to an adult party, I've never even been 'out for a drink'"

He nodded, "The High School thing is easily rectified, the college near the house does high school diplomas for adults, and if you want I'll teach you to drive?"

"Really?"

"Of course" he thought for a moment "Abby always holds a Halloween Party, she always invites me, and I never go. She'd love for you to go, we can go for a drink anytime you want, although I warn you, I dislike cinemas."

"You are wonderful!" she told him.

The waiter came over and took their plates, asking if they wanted dessert.

"Do we want dessert?" Kim asked Gibbs.

"Well yes" he told her, "but I have to get you home first".


	16. Self Defense Part 2

Kim woke to find Gibbs looming over her, her eyes widened in terror, before he kissed her lightly on the nose. "Gibbs?" she asked.

"Ready to start again?" he asked

She assumed he meant sex and tried to reach forward to pull him close, only to find her arms pinned above her by his powerful hands "You want me to fight you?"

"Yes" she looked up at him.

"I'm naked" she told him.

He smirked "So am I?"

"There are nicer things we can do" she chided, struggling against his hands, she moved her knees up, between his legs and pushed "If I kick you'll I'll hurt you" she told him.

"I appreciate the thought" he let go of her hands, it would make an attacker let go, so it's good enough for me. He laughed as he rolled off her, "I'd appreciate it if you didn't gouge my eyes out either, but if you have your hands free combining the two is very affective"

"Gibbs? Who do you thinks going to attack me?" she asked

"I don't" he sat her on his lap and breathed in the scent of her hair, "My job is dangerous" he told her, "I wouldn't be doing it right if people weren't trying to kill me, sometimes, just sometimes, the people who are trying to hurt me, come after the people I love" He thought of Ari, and the usual bitterness came back.

"But I don't count?" she told him

He looked stunned for a moment, and turned her round so she stood naked and facing him. The trail of scars across her stomach were not as obvious as the ones on her back, but he could see where knives and cut her, and cigarettes had burned. He could see stretch marks decorating the delicate skin over her pelvis, and with an edge of guilt light blue bruises he'd caused the night before wrestling her round the bed. "Of course you count" he told her.

"But you don't love me" she told him "there's no point in anyone trying to hurt you, by coming after me?"

He didn't know what to say, how could she not understand, "you live with me, we're sleeping together" he told her "that's enough to put you in danger"

She nodded "I wasn't asking for your love" she told him suddenly, "If that's what you thought?"

He felt wounded, like Jenny when she'd told him she didn't love him, "Kim" he growled slightly.

"I like you, and I'm happy with you" she told him, kissing his lips, seemingly unaware that her words were barbed "but I don't expect you to love me".

Gibbs stood up, and walked away from her. "Bathroom" he said in answer to her unasked question.

She walked to the couple of drawers she kept her things in and pulled out a shirt and tracky bottoms, dressed she sat in front of the dresser and carefully brushed her hair. Pulling hard at the tangles so the pain would cover the anguish in her mind. She remembered the basement, she was unlovable, spoiled, and sullied. She fought tears that tried to come, and gasped hard to calm herself. She couldn't fall in love with Gibbs, he was still in love with his wife, there wasn't room for her, and she was nothing. She continued the mantra till her hair was straight and untangled, then when that no longer caused her pain, she reached into the draw below the dresser. Inside there was a picture of Shannon and Kelly, she stared at them, willing them to be alive, willing herself to be dead in their place. She mingled her pain with his own, explaining in her mind to Shannon that she didn't want to take her place, she would be happy to be Gibbs' painkiller and nothing more.

He watched her, staring at Shannon and Kelly, when she had first come home with him she'd asked to see pictures of them, this was his favourite. When he brought lovers home that picture was always hidden, Kim had wanted him to leave it out, but he couldn't. He couldn't take another woman to his bed with Shannon smiling down at him. She'd never brought it up again, but he'd found her staring at the picture, once or twice he'd heard her talk to it. "Kim?" he asked gently.

She jumped and put the picture down on the dresser, "I was just…" she started

"I know" he nodded, "she'd have liked you"

"I hope she does" she watched him dress "you don't mind me talking to them?"

"I do it"

"Yes, but it's not my place" she told him earnestly.

He shrugged to say he didn't mind "what do you talk to them about?"

"You" she walked over to him, and snuggled into his arms "I'd do anything for you" she told him.

He looked across the top of her head and met Shannon's eye "I know you would". He smiled and kissed her head.

They stood there for a few moments, before she shook loose and looked up at him "So what's next?"

"Erm" he thought for a moment "I'm going to show you how to break someone's nose".


	17. Memory Part 2

He'd left her a sponge, for 5 days strapped to a metal table all she'd had was a sponge. Her whole body burned, and she was aware she had started to lose time, repeatedly losing consciousness. Her breath came out in short sharp wracks, she was going to die. Michael was a Marine, she thought he'd been deployed somewhere, he could be gone for months, it was under a week and she was going to die.

She thought about Ireland, about the fields near her old house where she used to play. If they ever found her body she wanted to be scattered there among the sheep, the sea wind whipping her remains to the far corners. If she could have moved her arms, she would have written it down an instruction for Michael, written it with the pooled blood, dry now, left over from his last attack.

In the dark she'd prayed and prayed, till she was sure that the Jesus, the Virgin and God his-self had forsaken her. It had been nearly a year since she'd been brought here, and she'd stopped crying and sobbing, but she still prayed. At first she'd prayed to be let out, then she'd prayed for death, recently she'd prayed for him.

She wasn't quite sure who he was, but she could describe him. Tall, and broad and muscular. In her mind he was a soldier, strong and brave, his voice was deep and gravelly, with bright blue eyes. When he laughed and she was sure he laughed a lot his face would light up. She dreamed and prayed he'd rescue her, sail her away from here. She was a clever girl, she knew that he was a fantasy, an update of the white knight rescuing the princess from a tower.

As day six started, knew she was hallucinating, she watched him standing in the deep snow, gun drawn his blue eyes flashing as he saw his target running from him. He started to follow, but the snow and slush made moving hard. He slipped and swore and in that instant she knew he'd made a terrible mistake. The other man raised his gun and fired. She felt the jolt as the bullet hit home, her vision turning red as her Soldier bled into the snow. After 6 days she couldn't speak, she wasn't really conscious, but had someone walked into the cellar, at the moment of the impact, the word that escape her lips would have sounded like "Gibbs".


	18. Halloween Part 1

Abby's apartment was too small for a proper Halloween party, so every year she utilised her Church's Community centre. Gibbs was regretting agreeing to come, he hadn't dressed up, wearing jeans and a checked shirt but Kim had and from the moment the cab had arrived she'd gone from panic that she looked ridiculous, to over buoyant excitement at going to a party. When they pulled up outside the mock-gothic exterior, festooned with pumpkin lights she gave a loud squeal, and hugged Gibbs.

Abby had decided that this year the MCRT theme would be cowboy themed, the idea amused her, and with the possibility of Gibbs actually turning up she wanted a theme he could fit into comfortably. There were people in all sorts of Halloween costumes milling around the front of the hall, but as Gibbs stepped out of the cab, he couldn't see one of his team. He took her arm and led her into the crowded room, she automatically squeezed his arm for comfort. He realised that she'd probably never been such a crowded room in her life.

He was tempted to ask if she wanted to leave, when he spotted Annie Oakley. Abby saw him and squealed nearly losing her cowboy hat in an attempt to run through a group of guests to get to him. "Gibbs, you came" she hugged him

"We came Abs" Gibbs kissed her cheek, Abby looked across at his companion and squealed again, she wrapped the smaller woman into a massive hug.

"OH you look amazing, where did you get that outfit?" Abby squeaked. Gibbs looked around, saw the bar and stalked out of the way of the two women.

Kim looked slightly distressed at his leaving, but Abby took her hand beaming widely, Kim smiled "Actually I made it myself." The week before Abby had phoned Gibbs house and told her the dress code for the MCRT, she'd had no hesitation in what she wanted to wear and had immediately got the bus to the nearest charity shop. Gibbs had left her a credit card for emergency use, and she classed this as an emergency.

She searched firstly for a choker, finding a black velvet ribbon. She put it to her thin neck and smiled, she would need to visit a haberdashers, and she went to the bridal area and carefully remembering the instructions on her new mobile phone sent Gibbs a text message. He phoned back a few minutes later.

"Hey Gibbs"

"You need something?"

"Guess what I'm doing?"

"Kim!" his temper obvious.

"Well I'm going to tell you anyway" she giggled "I'm trying on Wedding Dresses"

"WHAT!?"

"For Abby's party" she heard him breathe out in relief, "Anyway I've used your credit card to buy an outfit"

"Fine, is that why you phoned?"

"No, do you have a sewing machine?"

Kim had brought the velvet ribbon, a blue bridesmaid dress, 2m of yellow ribbon, and a large sew on gem. She had rushed home, and in the attic dug out Shannon's old sewing machine. When Gibbs had arrived home several hours later, it was to find his dining table covered in material and off cuts.

Now she was standing in that outfit, her hair curled on top of her head and tied with long yellow ribbons, her throat was ringed with black velvet a single white gem glistening against the hollow. She wore a long blue silk dress, cut off at the shoulders and shrunk for her thin frame. On her feet she wore her black combat boots.

"Let me guess" Abby asked "She wore a yellow ribbon?"

"It's my favourite film" Kim acknowledged "Are the others here?"

"Yeah" she nodded enthusiastically, "Palmer is over there in the Texan ten gallon hat, the tall blond girl in the jeans is his girlfriend Breena."

"Tony, Ziva, McGee?" Kim asked.

"McGee phoned me earlier to say he's driving the other two, they'll be here soon" She looked round conspiratorially "I have a question to ask you, my little Irish songbird"

"How d'ya know?" Kim asked

"Gibbs" they said together and started giggling.

Gibbs was grateful Abby had ensured the bar had Kentucky Bourbon, somehow the room full of younger people, Goths and his Agents was easier to handle with Bourbon in his system. He was downing his second when a familiar soft hand crept round his waist. "Having fun?" he asked his lover.

"Yeah, erm Gibbs?"

"What?" he snapped irritably, then with a turned to her and saw her face "Are you OK?"

"Yeah" she smiled and put her head on his shoulder, her ridiculous hairstyle making it hard for her to rest comfortably there.

"Do you want to go home?" he asked

"Gibbs, Abby asked me to do something and I don't know?"

"Was it get a tattoo?" Gibbs asked laughing "'cos I won't necessarily approve"

"No nothing like that" she kissed him and smiled "thank you, I know you're uncomfortable"

"Come here" he told her wrapping his arms around her and kissing her deeply. "You like the taste?" He asked

She giggled "Of you?"

"Of the bourbon?"

"This a drinking thing again?"

"It's a ticking things off your list while you're in a safe environment thing"

"My Grandpa used to distil Poitine" she told him, he looked at her confused "Potato Vodka" she told him.

"You liked it?" he asked

"We used to preserve soft fruit with it" she told him "all our fruit all winter tasted of it" she giggled "I probably spent most of my time at St Clodagh's wasted"

He laughed and kissed her, he waved the barman over "Vodka, neat" he ordered, it was passed over the bar.

"Gibbs?" she looked between him and the glass.

"Taste it" he ordered her smiling as she took the shot glass, and gulped the liquid it one go. "Woah!" he laughed "that wasn't what I meant"

"Buy me another then, and I promised I'll sip it"

He arched his eyebrows "OK?" he did as she asked, and passed the second glass over, watching her put it to her lips and sip.

"Yep" she said grimacing slightly "add a medlar and that's the taste of my packed lunches" She giggled

"What's a medlar?" He asked

"It's a fruit? Do you not have medlars over here?"

"Never even heard of them?"

"Oh!" She drained the glass "Oh! They're great you have to let them rot and then the sugars are released and then you eat them"

"Nice?" he ordered her another drink.

"My Gran used them for spells and stuff" she looked at his face, "Have I never told you my Granny was a hedgewitch? She believed the Virgin Herself filled the hedgerows of Eire with all 't fruits o'heaven." Gibbs laughed "What?"

"You're becoming really Irish" he told her.

"I am Irish!"

"Actually you're a US citizen" he reminded her, he kissed her "but your accent isn't normally this strong".

"That's good!" Abby came over and kissed Gibbs cheek "I need her to have wicked Irish accent!"

"Hey Abs" Kim kissed her.

"Oh Kim!" Abby squeaked "you're drunk!"

"No she's not" Gibbs told her, pulling Kim back to his lap "McGee arrived yet?"

"Yes" she clapped "Oh look, there" she pointed to the front door, where Tim, Tony and Ziva had just arrived.

Tony was dressed all in black, big hat and cowboy boots, the look was clearly ironic but looked well on the handsome Italian, Tim was dressed in check shirt and jeans, an edged leather jacket and cowboy boots setting him apart from a casual bar fly. Ziva looked amazing a wide Spanish dress, her hair in a high not with feathers, and high heel boots. Black and red, when she walked it flashed and every man stopped to look at her.

"Greetings Sheriff" Tony greeted Gibbs, tipping his hat.

"ZIVA!" Abby hugged the assassin enthusiastically, "how good do we look? We need a team photo!"

"Is Ducky here?" McGee asked

"Erm?" Abby started

"Yes Timothy" the older man told him coming up behind them, he was dressed in full Spaghetti Western gear, huge hat, poncho, cowboy boots.

"Hello Dr Mallard" Kim greeted, "you look grand!"

"Kimberley" he took her hand and kissed it "Is Jethro getting you drunk?"

"She isn't drunk!"

Abby ducked from her colleagues, and grabbed Jimmy and Breena dragging them over to the bar. "Right STAY HERE!" she yelled "ALL OF YOU" She came back a few moments later dragging a Young man in a skeleton suit carrying a camera. "This is my friend Reggie, he's gonna take some photos."

She pushed them along the bar, so they surrounded the bar stool Gibbs sat on. With Gibbs in the centre, Ducky stood in front of him. Ziva on one side Kim on the other. Tony stood beside Ziva, his arms around her. Behind Gibbs sitting on the bar was Abby, McGee sitting beside her. Beside Kim, his hand on the back of Gibbs chair was Jimmy, his arm around Breena pulling her into the shot. Just before the shot was taken, Abby placed a cowboy hat on Gibbs head.


	19. Halloween Part 2

Abby had mingled with her guests, Tony had flirted with the girls and Ziva had fought off various advances, while the rest of the MCRT stood at the bar sharing quips and tales. Despite appearances Gibbs enjoyed listening to them chatter, the plans for the future, the belief in a better life, it was easy to fall into their lives, whilst never talking about his own. Tonight he had the added bonus of a warm willing body held into his arms, the alcohol had taken its toll on her, and she was relaxed, chatting away about Ireland and her childhood. He'd seen her up to this point as reclusive and secretive as himself, it was interesting to see her as someone who'd had a happy childhood, who remembered her family without pain and guilt. What had happened to her wasn't her fault, she'd not done anything to feel guilty for, and when her brain was relaxed he was glad to know she wasn't completely screwed up.

"Gibbs?" she asked planting herself firmly on his lap "Am I drunk?"

He laughed "Don't tell the others, but yeah" he kissed her cheek.

She put her arms around him and kissed his lips, "I love you" she told him "I have done since" she kissed him again "forever".

Gibbs would have normally shrunk away from her and a declaration of love, but he realised with a smile she had no idea what she was saying "Kim, tell me something" he whispered into her ear, turning them slightly away from Palmer who was explaining in a Duckyish way his plans for travelling Europe. "Are you happy? With me, living with me, are you happy?"

She kissed him "Do you want to know something?" she asked him "I've been waiting for you for 15 years"

He was going to ask her to explain when the music stopped, he turned sharply his mind awake to danger, before he saw Abby walk onto the stage by the DJ.

"HEY EVERYONE" she squealed waving wildly "as you know every year I try and get you all to play with the Karaoke machine" There was a murmur of negative responses "yeah, I know. So this year I've gone for the more direct route. I give you all Ms Ziva David".

Ziva walked onto the stage she fixed the room with a bright smile, but Gibbs could see her eyes, it was a look of a cornered assassin. She took the microphone from Abby and closed her eyes. The DJ started a slow track and she started to sway to the music. Gibbs had heard his Agent sing before, he'd watched her dance, the haunting seductive melody reached a crescendo and she started to sing. Gibbs held Kim's hand, Ziva was very sad and very beautiful, and the things she couldn't wouldn't say were all mixed in with the emotion of the song. She was singing in French, and although he could follow the sentiment, the exact words were lost in prose. When she'd finished Tony went up to the stage, took her hand and led her away. He'd stared through the whole thing entranced, Gibbs had watched him out of the corner of his eye. While the crowd still clapped and cheered, Kim slipped out of Gibbs arms and walked towards Abby. He watched her, shook his head and smirked.

"Is she going to….?" Jimmy started to ask.

"Looks like it Palmer" Gibbs took his bourbon and swallowed it.

Abby grabbed the microphone again, "Now I've asked for something different with my next act" she giggled "please welcome, Miss Kim Flanagan, all the way from the Emerald Isle".

Gibbs licked his lips and smirked as he watched Kim, happily drunk acknowledge her country with a little bow. He expected Abby to have the music play, and give her a microphone, but after a hurried discussion, Abby lay the microphone down and the DJ killed the power to the stage. Kim stood vulnerable in the centre of the stage, lit now by ambient light alone. Gibbs and Kim breathed deeply at the same time, he caught her eye, and she smiled, he could see her sobering swiftly in front of him, so he gave her a slight nod.

She swallowed and then started to sing The fields of Athenry.


	20. The Fields of Athenry

**The Fields of Athenry**

_By a lonely prison wall  
He heard a young girl calling  
Micheal they are taking you away  
For you stole Trevelyn's corn  
So the young might see the morn.  
Now a prison ship lies waiting in the bay._

Low lie the Fields of Athenry  
Where once we watched the small free birds fly.  
Our love was on the wing we had dreams and songs to sing  
It's so lonely 'round the Fields of Athenry.

By a lonely prison wall  
I heard a young man calling  
Nothing matters Mary when you're free,  
Against the Famine and the Crown  
I rebelled they ran me down  
Now you must raise our child with dignity.

Low lie the Fields of Athenry  
Where once we watched the small free birds fly.  
Our love was on the wing we had dreams and songs to sing  
It's so lonely 'round the Fields of Athenry.

By a lonely harbor wall  
I watched the last star falling  
As that prison ship sailed out against the sky  
Sure I'll wait and hope and pray  
For hmy love in Botany Bay  
It's so lonely 'round the Fields of Athenry.

Low lie the Fields of Athenry  
Where once we watched the small free birds fly.  
Our love was on the wing we had dreams and songs to sing  
It's so lonely 'round the Fields of Athenry.


	21. Lucille Part 1

** Warning: Here Be Smut!**

The case had been fraught, a child killer, taking Naval Dependents, Gibbs had thought he was losing his mind as the killer taunted them with body after body. In every face he saw Kelly. He couldn't speak to Kim, the torture those children had been through had reminded him painfully of the scars on his lovers body, he had told her he was going to stay at the Navy Yard, and she'd just wished him well, reminding him he could always talk to her. He'd sent Tim and Abby home immediately after the arrest, they'd both been traumatised. He assumed they would go home together, find comfort in each other's arms. He loved Abby like a daughter, he didn't mind her relationship with Tim as long as it didn't affect their work. Ziva wouldn't leave without Tony, Tony wouldn't leave before Gibbs, so they sat till 9 pretending to be working, eventually Tony had fallen asleep exhaustion getting the better of him, and Gibbs convinced Ziva to take him home. If they ended up like Tim and Abby, so be it, they'd be safe and asleep and he wouldn't have to worry about them. Eventually he sat alone in the bull pen, staring blankly at walls, he didn't want to go home, and he didn't want to sleep at his desk again. If he'd been single, he might have found a girl, gone back to her place. Anonymous sex, the old fall back of the utter bastard.

In the end he settled for the other fall back of the cowboy, the bar and Bourbon. He entered the bar, he'd been there numerous times after tough cases, and it was dark and anonymous. He ordered a neat Bourbon, took off his coat and jacket, and sat on a bar stool. A second Bourbon quickly followed, then a third. He watched the door behind him open, the bar was nearly empty, a few men playing pool and him, so when she walked in, she got all their attentions. She looked along the bar, as if ensure whether to stay or run. Wearing a short skirt and wide lapelled blouse, with heels that were too high for her, her hair was tied back in a tight bun, but a loose strand of red escaped, her makeup was cheap and inexpertly applied. Gibbs had seen the look in the woman's eye before, he could see what she wanted. He checked the door, and then went and sat beside her.

"Can I buy you a drink?" he asked, she just nodded, he looked her up and down unashamedly, and "Vodka, neat he asked the barman" The woman smiled, and tilted her head in thanks. "I'm Jethro" he told her offering his hand.

He took it, "Lucille" she told him, and laughed.

"Pretty name" he told her.

They sat in silence sipping their drinks, she kicked a heel off onto the floor, and slipped her stocking covered foot up and down his leg. He smiled, and squeezed her thigh, riding her skirt up slightly to feel the pinched flesh where her suspender belt nicked her delicate flesh. She shuddered, and he waved his hand to the barman, to bring him his 5th Bourbon and her second vodka. She undid the top button of her blouse, letting him see her cleavage, encased in black silk. Gibbs heart beat faster the alcohol now coursing through his system. He knew the barman was pouring her doubles, and so drink for drink she was one behind. He could see her jugular pulsing, her neck flushing with arousal. His mind briefly rested on the idea of taking her to the men's room, it had been years since he'd had a casual fuck in a bathroom stall.

"There is a motel across the street" she whispered

He quirked an eyebrow as she removed the key card from the pocket of her blouse, "another round, then the cheque" Gibbs told the barman. Meeting out a fistful of notes, he threw them on the bar. They were now drink for drink, and as she replaced her heel, he checked his wallet.

"It's OK" she told him, "I'm well prepared"

He groaned with desire and followed her out of the bar. He took her arm as they crossed the street, she leaned heavily on him as her giddy gate in the unfamiliar heels made her sway. The motel was cheap, and finding her room, the couple passed a whore and her pimp. "Nice place" Gibbs joked.

They got to the room, and he realised she hadn't been joking about being prepared, a moment of discomfort passed him when he saw the condoms and lube littering the turned down bed. "I was desperate for some company she told him" kissing him full on the lips, and running her hands across his chest and back. She came across his weapon and looked curious "I would say is that a gun in your pocket, but I know it is, and it's in a holster" she ran her hand across his belt and found his badge. "You a cop?"

"A fed" he told her, kissing her deeply, pulling at the pins of her bun and letting her hair fall. He undid his holster, and dropped it and his badge onto the room's only chair, along with his coat and jacket.

"You're very handsome" she told him, "very sexy" he smiled.

"You're very beautiful" he told her. She started to remove her blouse, but he put a hand out to stop her, kissing her he started to undo the buttons himself. Revealing the front clipped black silk and lace bar he'd glimpsed earlier. He unclipped it and pulled both blouse and shirt from her.

She undid the buttons on his shirt, leaving his chest exposed, then working on his belt. "Sit on the bed" she ordered.

He did as he was told and she knelt by his feet, removing his shoes and socks. She stood and slipped off her short skirt, letting him see her lace black panties, suspender belt and through the gaps in the material her waxed pussy. "Wow!"

He stood and pulled his trousers of, sitting back on the bed wearing his open shirt and boxers. Kneeling back between his legs, she undid the buttons of his shorts and freed his now straining cock. "May I?" she asked

"Please" he whimpered slightly as she engulfed his member into her hot mouth. He closed his eyes as she started to suck, "Oh God" he sighed.

She started to caress his thighs, kneed them with her fists, while keeping the pressure of her mouth on his cock. She moved one hand to his balls, squeezing and fondling them, before relaxing her throat and taking him further in. He started to breath hard and she knew he was close. He started to buck and grabbed her head, fucking her mouth with vengeance. After a few moments of rough beat less thrusting he groaned, filling her pretty mouth. She swallowed hard, trying not to gag as the former Marine held her head to his crotch.

He blinked, and breathed out controlling his heart rate, then let go of her head, and let her sit back on her heels. "That was amazing" he told her.

"I know" she smiled and licked her lips provocatively. He pulled her up by the shoulders, claiming her mouth, tasting himself on her lips and tongue. He placed his thumbs either side of the waist band of her panties, and pulled them down her legs. She went to kick her shoes of but he slapped her butt hard.

"Leave them" he told her, he knelt forward and placed a kiss on the lips of her cunny, swirling his tongue around the delicate tissue, she moaned, running his fingers between her delicate petals he felt her dripping pussy. Using his fingers he gently found her clitoris, sucking the hardening tissue and eliciting a high moan. He hummed and she started to wriggle, he slipped a finger into her moist cunt, then a second then a third, she mewled as he started to fuck her. Continuing to manipulate her clit, he thrust hard, feeling her breath hard, her mews became sobs of pleasure, she reached out and grabbed his shoulders digging long fake nails into the sensitive flesh, and she came like that screaming over and over. When she'd come down slightly, he picked her up and threw her down on the bed, removing his soaking shorts, she looked up to see his cock was once again hard, he grabbed a packet at random from the bed, ripping it open he applied the thick rubber to his cock.

"Oh God" she moaned, and he forced her thighs wide apart, lifting her hips and positioning himself between her legs. She reached out for him, but he'd had enough of what those nails could do, he grabbed both her thin wrists in one of his hands, then bringing his cockhead up to her gaping pussy, pushed roughly inside. She screamed again, as he thrust into her, wrapping her high heeled feet behind his back, she pulled him closer to her. His once free hand, he wrapped under her waist, pulling her towards him as he thrust into her. It was fast and brutal, he grunted and she squealed, as her orgasm started to peak she kicked her heels into his back, he arched forward and claimed her lips with his own, they came like that, together, drawn as close as possible, in the cheap motel room.

Half an hour later, Gibbs woke from a slight dose with the girl pressed to his chest, he'd lost his shirt, and she no longer wore stockings and heels. He kissed the top of her head, and she hummed happily. "I've got a question?" he asked.

"Yeah?" she asked leaning on one arm and looking into his soft blue eyes.

"Why Lucille?"

"Kenny Rogers" she told him, "In a bar in Toledo, across from the depot…" she sang softly.

"Kim!" he laughed

"What?"

"We're not in Toledo?"

"Its fantasy Gibbs, it doesn't have to be true."


	22. Lucille Part 2

He walked into the Navy Yard dressed the same as he had been the night before, she'd packed him a clean set of clothes, and when he spotted it matched what he'd worn the night before a wicked thought had crossed her mind. He sipped his coffee and scratched absentmindedly at a bite on his neck. He smiled remembering how he'd got it, his memory entertained him till he got to the elevator, and he jogged to catch up with Tony and Ziva who were just entering it together.

"Boss" Tony greeted, and Ziva nodded in his direction. He smiled and turned away from them facing the door, they exchanged glances, "so what time did you get home last night boss? Tony asked

"Didn't" Gibbs grunted, the elevator door pinged open and he stepped out leaving the younger agents to look at each other.

"Channel Number 5" Ziva said quietly.

"Same clothes he wore yesterday" Tony added.

"Lipstick on his collar" Ziva told him.

They walked into the bull pen to find Gibbs stripping off his shirt, his back was covered in small bruises and deep nail scratches, and he chucked the shirt into a draw, and pulled on an NCIS T-Shirt instead. McGee was sat transfixed, and shared an awkward look with his colleagues.

"Everything OK Boss?" McGee asked

"Yeah, McGee" he looked at the younger man, whose face was pale "Did you sleep?"

"Not much"

"We've got paperwork" Gibbs told them "get it done, we can all get out of here at 5."

"What really?" McGee asked

"Cue someone getting iced on a Navy Frigate" Tony laughed then looking at the older man's steel gaze "getting on it boss"

Gibbs picked up his phone and dialled Kim "Hi, I won't be home till tonight, yeah" he smirked when he realised he had an audience "been here all night, OK, see you later".

There was a scrabbling sound as the three other agents scrambled to cover their eavesdropping. "So, erm, I'm going to see Abby" Tony waved his report, "I just need some stuff clearing up?"

"NO!" Abby protested "NO! Not Gibbs" she hit Tony "Gibbs is not a cheat"

"Don't know what to tell you Ab's" Tony was sitting on her workbench, having come down just to chat "smells like a $50 whore, lipstick stains and nail marks, I did my time at vice, I know what that means".

"Maybe he was undercover?" Abby asked "Maybe he's doing some hinky black op?"

"Or maybe, nasty case a bit too close to home, he went to a bar, picked up a girl" he shrugged "he wouldn't be the first"

"The first to do what? DiNozzo" Gibbs asked quietly coming up behind him. Tony gave him a calculating look, which was mirrored on Abby's face, "what?" Gibbs snapped. Abby came up and sniffed him, he smirked.

"You go for a drink last night boss?" Tony asked.

Gibbs glared "Yeah" he quirked his eyes question.

Tony shared a look of bitter triumph with Abby, "I've got the evidence log I needed" Tony told Gibbs "waving a random sheet of paper." He skipped out of the room as quick as he could.

"You're playing with them" Abby told Gibbs, "I know you Gibbs"

He smiled "Tony come to tell you I'm a cheating bastard?"

"Yep" she kissed his cheek "You and Kim got some kinky game going on?"

"Just keeping my reputation Ab's".


	23. Crosswords

Kim made Gibbs dinner most evenings, knowing he would most likely not eat it, or even not come home, but it made her feel useful. He'd had some cookery cooks, and she discovered cookery shows on the TV which showed her mostly what to do. Her culinary experiments had mostly been simple meat and two veg fair, food that could be easily plated and refrigerated. On days when he actually came home in time to eat, he would sit one side of the table doing a crossword, and she would watch him avidly. After several weeks of this he watched her watching him.

"Why do you watch me?" he asked

"I like crosswords" she told him

"Then why don't you help?"

"I didn't know I was allowed?"

He shrugged and gestured she could come and sit beside him, he pushed the paper between them so she could read the clues. "I could always do with the help" he smiled, and continued eating reading the clues as he went, filling them in as they occurred to him.

"Antique" she said suddenly

"Which one?"

"25 across, It's possibly quaint and ultimately collectable, seven letters, A something, something, something, something, something, E."

He kissed her head and filled it in. He rubbed the bridge of his nose and readjusted his reading glasses. "What about 29 across?"

She read the clue and the letters, repulsive and unpleasant seven letters, "Obscene?" she read the clue again.

"That'll fit" He smiled "Did you think I'd be upset if you helped?"

"I've not done one since my Dad died" she told him "we used to do them with Mum, after dinner, it was nice"

"My Dad and I used to do them" Gibbs told her, "Then Shannon and I…"

"Is it too painful?" she asked quietly, "I don't have to…"

"No it's fine, it's a bit silly doing it on your own isn't it?"

"Who do you show off for?" They laughed together for a moment. "Can we have this?" she asked

"Have it?" He asked

"It's not sex, it's not sad, hell it's not passion or love or any of that crap, can we just do crosswords together without it being a big thing?"

"I think I'd like that" he told her

"Deal" she grabbed the pen "27 across Prickle".


	24. The First Christmas

The NCIS Christmas tree had gone up after Thanksgiving, and Gibbs had studiously ignored it. It wasn't that he disliked Christmas but he tended to treat it like any other day. The year before his Father had come to visit, which hadn't been quite as imagined, but it reminded him that Christmas should be marked with more than a visit to church and pickling yourself in the basement.

He and Kim had spent Thanksgiving with the rest of the family at Ducky's, and the conversation over dinner had turned to Christmas plans. Gibbs had explained that the likelihood of them having any Christmas time off was incredibly slim, but as every previous year it didn't stop the team planning. When the conversation came round to Kim, she'd looked panicked before Gibbs had smoothly told her they'd talk it over in Private, and the conversation had moved on.

When Kim had come home from church on the first Sunday of Advent, clutching the Christmas schedule of masses, it had amused him how excited she was. Her first Christmas in nearly 16 years, and she was determined to make the most of it. Gibbs attended Alexandria First Church most Sundays, but Kim had joined the Catholic Congregation at the Blessed Sacrament, and attended 3 or 4 masses a week including Confession.

It annoyed Gibbs that she confessed every Saturday, he classed it along with saying sorry. Something that was in essence completely pointless, but he often watched her leaving the house in a black dress and veil that Abby would have approved of her face as sombre as the grave, and return full of smiles, agreeable to him doing anything he wanted to her. Usually taking the ridiculous outfit off her as soon as humanely possible and fucking her senseless. Only for her to confess everything the following week.

Christmas however had sent her into a spiral of Catholicism that put the confessions in the shade. She had added an Advent candle to the dinner table and now every evening they ate their meals in the soft candle light. Her normal evening prayers had started to rival the time Gibbs spent in the basement, and it seemed to him she was spending more time at church than she did at home or at her job. However apart from the candle she hadn't dared ask Gibbs if she could decorate the house.

He'd thought about little else while at home, even at work that damn tree kept reminding him of the date. He'd expected her to ask the moment they'd returned from Ducky's, when she hadn't he'd felt slightly relieved. Then when she'd spent 2 full days decorating the church, even bringing home some of the Crib figurines to repair their outfits and he'd prepared for her to ask about his Christmas traditions. When she didn't he realised she wasn't going to ask, she expected him to be sad or upset and so had thrown herself into the Churches Christmas instead. That was what really galled him, he wanted her to enjoy Christmas, to start building herself happy memories, he just wasn't sure he could put his own past aside to achieve it.

On December 13th St Lucy's day he came home to find the smell of baking, and St Lucy buns sat on the table. In a jar on the mantelpiece she'd placed a string of battery powered fairy lights. "Very pretty" he told her munching on the cinnamon bun.

"You don't mind?" she asked nervously picking at the front of her apron, "They'll be gone tomorrow"

"Why?"

"St Lucy's day" she shrugged "It's only one night".

"You can leave them for longer" he said quietly "For Christmas"

She looked unsure and then disappeared back into the kitchen, "There's a chicken curry in the pan" she called, "if you get washed up I'll serve it".

He took his cue and walked away, but he noted the next day and the day after that the lights in the jar had stayed. On the third day he hadn't gone home a case had taken them to Pittsburgh, and the lateness of the hour had found it more useful to stay the night in a motel than travel back. While Ziva Tony and McGee had taken the opportunity to visit a bar, Gibbs had found a place called 24 hour Christmas Magic. On a whim he'd taken the sedan out into the countryside following the strangely shaped elf signs to a Christmas tree farm with a store attached.

A few years ago he'd made a joke about Santa being sick in Abby's lab around the Christmas holidays, it was coming back to haunt him in a shack off the highway. One of his problems was he didn't have a clue what sort of Christmas Decorations to buy. Shannon had always made the house look so beautiful, Kelly had always decorated her room with pink and fluff and cardboard and paper cut outs, but had loved bright garish lights. All three ex-wives had gone for understated elegance, but his own mother had favoured huge brash fairy lights.

He looked round for several minutes at the singing Santa's and flashing snowman, wondering if she'd be horrified or delighted, Finally he thought he'd just leave when a small older woman tapped him on the waist. "Can I help you son?" she asked

He looked down noting the woman's Irish accent "Hi, erm, could you tell me about a traditional Irish Christmas?"

"Catholic or Protestant"

A dangerous question he knew "Erm my friend is Irish Catholic, it's her first Christmas over here and I want to make her feel at home"

"Friend you say? Female friend is it?"

Gibbs smirked "It's not like that" he lied smoothly "She's young, just been orphaned she's staying with me while she hasn't got anywhere else to go" he smiled "I'd like to make her happy"

The old lady smiled "That's a nice thing to do for a friend" she grabbed his hand "Your young lady, where in Ireland is she from?"

"Dun Loghaire"

"And you're planning to take her swimming of course?"

"Swimming?"

"On Christmas day" she smirked "You have to swim naked on Christmas Day" Gibbs blushed, he realised he'd done it when he looked into her eyes "Of course you'll have to marry her after that".

He laughed "Anything that won't cost me my house?" he asked.

It had puzzled the team the next day when they went to pile their bags into the trunk of the Sedan that it was now packed with green boxes from 'Christmas Magic', the unwritten rule not to ask about Gibb's private life forced them to maintain an uncomfortable silence on the matter. As they hit the Maryland border Tim started singing in his sleep, this wasn't unusual and it was one of the secrets between the MCRT that Gibbs kept out of the playground. This time however he started singing The Kerry Christmas Carol. Gibbs turned sharply "McGEE" he shouted.

"Er boss?" McGee woke with a start.

"What are you singing?"

McGee rubbed his eyes "Sorry boss?" he looked at the others "Erm, was it the Kerry Christmas Carol?"

"Yes" Gibbs told him "You're family is Irish isn't it?"

"Yes boss"

"Good, you're coming home with me this evening".

Gibbs made Tim carry a load of the boxes into his house "er boss? What am I doing?"

"We're going to decorate the house for Christmas"

"Where's Kim?" McGee asked

"Church" he smirked "Look Tim, she'd missed out on 16 Christmas's and she thinks I'm such a bastard I would object if she decorated".

"So we're decorating for her" McGee nodded "That's nice boss"

Gibbs smirked "Yeah" he walked to the kitchen and opened the fridge "beer?"

"Oh please" McGee smiled, opening the first box and finding a wreath of holly "Can this go on the front door?"

Gibbs came back into the room and handed the beer to Tim "Put it wherever you think best" he smirked "That's why you're here".

When Kim came home from the first Advent-o, it was starting to snow, and she thought she saw white lights strung under the eaves of the house. When she walked to the door, she realised they were real, what's more a Holly wreath hung from the front door.

"Jethro?" she asked walking in to the living room finding it filled with soft candle light. A real Christmas tree stood in the corner, lit with tiny candles. On the mantle her jar of lights still stood, but was now joined by an Ivy and red ribbon swatch. The fireplace was lit and shadows danced around the room, which for once had been cleared of random files and the bicycle, it looked warm and inviting. "Jethro? Gibbs? If you come out dressed as Santi I will scream?"

She walked into the kitchen to find Fries and a Chocolate milkshake, "It's your favourite" Gibbs whispered into her ear, bringing his hands around her waist.

She sobbed "It's Christmas"

"Yep, just for you"

"You're really rather wonderful. You know that?"

"Yeah"

"I'm worrying close to saying those words I'm not allowed to say" she told him

He smirked and kissed her on the lips "Merry Christmas Kim".


	25. Head Injury

Kim pulled Gibbs bright yellow Hemi into her usual parking slot in a diner across the road from the store. The truck was in the garage and she'd had an uncomfortable ride in, not helped by Gibbs following her down the I-395. It was a warm morning, and Bunny and Gabe were away for the week so in front of her was 10 hours in a warm silent shop with just her sandwiches to keep her company. She opened the shop, choking slightly as the dust from age old books was disturbed, and after making herself comfortable behind the counter she opened the copy of 'Tender is the Night' she started yesterday. F Scott Fitzgerald was a required text on her course. The other members of her class had chosen the Great Gatsby, Bunny had suggested something a little more off menu.

She read 2 chapters in silence before she thought she might enjoy a sandwich, she knew Gibbs would have binned his own sandwiches, but she still made him a little pack every morning with her own. She ducked under the desk to search her bag when the little bell above the front door tinkled, she tried to sit up and smacked her head on the sold oak deck, knocking herself out cold.

"Kim?" The soft voice above her asked, she felt something cold on her forehead, breath on her skin.

"Gibbs?" she asked blinking but not seeing.

"Er no" the man laughed "you've taken a bump to the head sweetheart, had me worried"

She struggled to sit up and the man helped her, she realised she was on the floor in the backroom of the store. "Oh God, the shop" she rubbed her hand across her eyes and her vision cleared slightly so she could see the man in front of her. He had been a customer there before, she realised that's how he knew her name. He was younger than Gibbs with dark black hair and oddly pale skin, she tried to remember what he normally bought, and she thought it was maps.

"It's OK, I've put the closed sign up" she looked into her eyes "You've got double vision haven't you"

"Er more like triple or quadruple" she tried to laugh but it hurt

"Do you need me to call someone, your Gibbs perhaps, an ambulance?"

"Erm Gibbs is at work" she thought briefly of phoning him but thought better of it "Erm would you stay with me?"

The man smiled "Of course, but are you sure you'll be OK?"

"Is it bleeding?" she asked

"No"

"Then I'll be fine"

"You're very brave" he told her, "how did you get so brave" she gave him an odd look and he changed the subject, "Do you want me to run you home?"

She laughed "I live in Alexandria, it's nearly 20miles"

"16" he told her, "do you like it there?"

"Alexandria?" she asked "yeah it's nice"

"You're happy?" she checked her head as he spoke noticing the massive lump and tsking "You and Gibbs?"

She smirked "I like living with him" she fell forward slightly as a wave of nausea hit her.

"Shhh its OK" he told her, wrapping his arms around her "Are you sure you don't want me to call him?"

She looked a bit miserable "He'll be busy, he won't appreciate being disturbed 'cos I bumped my head"

"You know if it were me, I'd want to know you'd been knocked out, and I certainly wouldn't want you driving?"

"Oh Jeez" she sobbed and he looked concerned "I've got to drive that STUPID car back" she laughed "Gibbs he has this 1970's muscle car, he adores it, its rubbish".

"Really?"

"He hates it when I say that"

"Man and his car, it's a powerful combination" he laughed "a bit like a man and his boats"

"Oh he's a boat man as well" she laughed "but he makes those"

"He makes boats for a living?"

"For a hobby" she retched again "I've changed my mind can you take me to the hospital?"

"Of course Angel"

Gibbs was sat at his desk, files of the latest murder piled around him, while Tony and Ziva expiate their latest theories. His desk phone rings and he picks it up "Yeah Gibbs?" he glares at the phone and the others stop talking to watch him, his eyes widen and he runs his spare hand over his eyes "She OK?" he sighs "Yeah OK, I'm on my way"

"Everything OK boss?" McGee asks

"Yeah" he stands up and grabs his sick "Come with me Tim".

As they walked to the elevator and out of sight Ziva and Tony looked at each other "I will give you $50 dollars she's crashed his car" Ziva told him.

"Nah, something worse" Tony told her "I reckon she's burnt the house down".

"It is a work day" Ziva reminded him "Do you think she has killed someone else?"

"Oh the boss is going to be so pissed".

"Er Boss where are we going?" Tim asked after a few moments of reckless driving.

"You're dropping me in Georgetown, then you're going back to work on the Dietzer case".

"Boss? Is everything OK?" Gibbs ignored him while he drove through the crowded historical streets, after a few moments he pulled into a side street Tim recognised "Boss is that you're Hemi?"

Gibbs stopped the car behind the Hemi and got out, throwing the key to Tim, "Go back to the office"

"Wait, what?" Tim slipped into the driver's seat "Are you driving the Hemi back to the Yard?"

"Nope"

"Boss?"

Gibbs sighed "I'll see you tomorrow Tim" he got into the car and started to reverse, forcing McGee to drive off or get hit.

"This is becoming a habit?" He told her, bringing his coffee into the side room.

"I'm sorry Gibbs, they insisted my next of kin was informed" she gestured at her head "It's a concussion."

"S'kay" he looked into her eyes "Are you?"

"Yeah, a customer brought me to the hospital, locked up the shop and filled in the paperwork"

"That was nice of her"

"Yeah he was sweet" she looked at his face and laughed "Even with double vision I can see you scowling".

"I'm your next of kin?" he asked

"That's what you're worried about?" she smirked "You are a strange man Jethro Gibbs"

"Not worried, just wondered when that happened?"

"After Morten came for me" she held her head as the nausea came again "I got asked for a next of kin and Ziva told me you were down as hers, and Abby's"

"And Tony's, and Ducky's" Gibbs shrugged.

"MY God the people around you are screwed up" she giggled and then retched "I don't feel very well"


	26. Tell Me

**"Tell me" he whispered into her ear.**

"I'm running from my Step Father" she swallowed hard, and stepped away from him, she perched on the Gunwale and drew her legs up, for a moment he thought she was going to tip backwards into the water, before she hooked her hand round a loose sheet to secure herself safely. "If he finds me, he's going to kill me" she told him.

"Why?"

"I ran away, stole his wallet" she smirked "wrecked his kitchen".

Gibbs raised his eyebrows "You told me the police weren't after you"

"Michael won't have called the police" she looked him in the eye "he wants me back, but he'll come for me himself." She thought for a moment "or he'll get a Marine to find me"

"Your Stepfather is a Marine?"

"Master Gunnery Sergeant" he watched her grip tighten "he celebrated all night when he got that title"

Gibbs put two and two together "The name on your back?" She nodded "He did that to you?" She nodded again "All of it?"

"Most of it"

"Your skin is burning" he told her.

"Yes" she rubbed at her sunburn

"Been a long time since you saw the sun, isn't it?" He smiled gently, coming and sitting beside her.

"15 years"

Gibbs swallowed, it was a long time. "Where have you been?"

"The cellar" she smiled "I didn't even know there was a cellar before" she stopped

"Before he locked you in it?" he asked, he blue eyes boring into her, "I've had similar cases, in the past, I've never met anyone whose survived 15 years."

"The others didn't"

"Others?" he took her hand "There were other girls with you?"

She nodded "I was 14 when he took me, I guess he got bored with me? After about a year he brought Marianne down. Marianne was about the same age as me, she'd been taking Drivers Ed, and all she wanted to do was go back"

"That makes her what, 16?" he asked

"Yeah, I think"

"What happened to her?"

"He'd bring Marine recruits down to the cellar, he wanted them to practice on us" he shivered "I'd stopped fighting long before, but Marianne she'd fight every time he tied her down, one time she kicked him and it must of hurt because he grabbed her head and pushed her to the floor and"

"He snapped her neck?" He remembered with starling clarity every time he'd used that move, the idea of using it on a trussed 16 year old made him cold.

"He brought Carolyn after that, she was older than me. She wasn't a virgin which amused him, he thought she'd teach me things"

"What happened to Carolyn?"

"She got sick, really sick" She thought hard "I thought he was going to leave us there alone, he'd done that before, just left for days, but he came back in the middle of the night and shot her in the head"

"She was tied down?"

"No, she, er we could move about the cellar, but we'd been asleep, he put the gun to her head and when she woke up, he pulled the trigger."

"Kim, you know you're safe with me right?" she looked unsure "If he wanted to get to you, he'd have to go through me" he pulled her into a lose hug "and I'm hard to get through".

She smirked "After Carolyn there was Bernadette" she nodded to herself "she was younger than me, I think she was 18, when she came, although I'm not sure."

"He murdered her?"

"She killed herself, she drank bleach and died in my arms, after Bernie there was Marina, she was brilliant and clever. He used to cut us, and I guess he cut her too hard or deep she bled to death."

"Are you OK?" he asked, letting her rest her head on his head

She nodded and continued "Finally there was Natasha, she'd been a college student, she was going to be a Doctor. He made us drink stuff so we didn't have babies and I don't really know, but Natasha explained it was a poison. She said it would build up in our systems and kill us. I'd been in the cellar for 15 years so I didn't believe her, but she was sure."

"What happened?"

"She wouldn't drink it, and then she got pregnant"

Gibbs hissed "What did he do?"

"He force fed her the drink, and then later she started bleeding, she bled and bled and I was screaming, so he tied me down." Her voice came out ragged and she started to sob "She died in the dark, bleeding out and I didn't do anything".

He looked at her frightened tear stained face "when was this?"

"Sunday"

"How did you get away?"

"He normally got a Marine to help him, but I don't know there wasn't anyone available, so he made me do it. We'd carried her into the living room when this car pulled up, he tried to push me back into the cellar, but then the woman came in, and he went white. She was screaming and hitting him, so I ran"

"You stole his wallet?"

"When I'd lived there with my Mam he kept everything in a drawer in the kitchen. His wallet was there, and his passport and stuff. I was just going to take the wallet but there was an envelope with my name on it so I took that as well."

"You take anything else?"

"No, I cleared his bank account though" she looked at him "I just wanted to get away"

He smirked "Show me"

She went below and grabbed the sail bag she'd brought with her, without a word she passed it to Gibbs. "This everything?" he asked opening it wide. There was some clothes, simple functional stuff, Gibbs smiled realising she hadn't known what she was doing as the clothing was mostly black or pink. There was the envelope with her name on it, he opened it, passport, birth certificate, National Insurance information and an adoption record. "Kim do you know what this is?"

"He adopted me didn't he?"

"Yeah?" he read it again, "but by the looks of it, after he'd taken you".

"Why?"

"I have no idea" he shook his head, and continued to look through the bag, there was $500 in lose notes shoved at the bottom of the bag, along with the wallet, and finally something she hadn't told him. "You took his M9" he said quietly.

She nodded "and the clips".

"Why?"

"It was in the drawer, and I wasn't really thinking" she looked up into his eyes and saw the flash of doubt.

"Kim, have you fired this?"

"No!" she told him "I hadn't a clue how to load it, I knew it was stupid but I thought, well actually I didn't think."

He took the weapon and the clips and threw them overboard "That didn't happen" he told her, then when she looked confused "you were raped and tortured, you escaped and took what you needed at most it's a misdemeanour. You steel a Marines side arm, it becomes a massive deal."

"Agent Gibbs did you just destroy evidence for me?"

"Nope" he smirked

"Why do they want me to go to Norfolk?" she asked.

"If I had to guess, I'd say they found Natasha's body at the house of a Marine, your DNA and fingerprints all over it" she looked terrified

"Your Agent thinks I killed Natasha?" she started to breath heavily again.

"Calm down, all you need to do is tell the truth, keep it simple and logical and keep calm." He told her stroking her hair.

"I don't want to go back"

"You aren't going back, listen to me Kim! You're not going back" he held her shoulders and stood her up "The woman you saw, did you recognise her, did you get a good look?"

"No" she shook her head "I didn't see her other than a glimpse and then her voice, she shrieked and I started to run".

He nodded "Kim are you OK?" he asked

"I'm fine" she told him

"No really, are you in pain? He looked into her eyes "I have a rule about apologies, but I will if I need to" he stroked her hair "do I need to apologise?"

"No, no not for earlier, or yesterday not at all" she hugged him "You want to know the last he touched me don't you?" He nodded "Sunday, no Saturday morning" she clarified.

He bit his tongue and squeezed his fists, "are there any recent wounds?" he asked trying to think like an investigator and not a jealous man, "something you haven't shown me?"

"Just bruises" she told him "He had other things on his mind" she walked around the boat in a dream, her movements natural but she wasn't thinking about them, just carrying out what needed to be done.

He watched her silently, till he saw her stare at the fast approaching Norfolk Naval base, then he saw her body language change as she started to panic "Kim" he said quietly, hoping his voice was soothing, or at least calming "whatever they ask you, whatever they say you can trust my team".


	27. Interrogation

McGee walked into the interrogation room with Ziva behind him, the girl sat behind the metal table was the same shade of white as the stark walls. They'd taken her clothes for evidence and now she sat in an orange jumpsuit, her tiny skeletal frame swamped even in the smallest suit. She was clearly terrified, McGee was torn between his concern that their suspect was undergoing a mental breakdown, and his fear that if he made this girl cry, Gibbs was going to slaughter him.

Behind the observation glass Gibbs held a paper coffee cup filled with what was distinctly not coffee. The Agent assigned to stay with him had already requested a backup, and they'd been at Norfolk less than an hour. He stalked the small room like a caged animal, he'd advised Kim to tell the truth, keep her answers short and simple and to try and keep calm. He had no worries about the first two instructions, but watching her darting eyes and drumming fingers he saw no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't follow number three.

Ziva sat down, while McGee stood with his back to the glass window. She opened the manila file on the desk in front of the trembling girl, pulling out the crime scene photo of Michael O'Rourke she passed it over to the girl. Gibbs watched as his lovers eyes widened in terror, his instinct was to march into the interview room and tell Ziva to scram, he fought it off and placed his head on the glass instead watching Kim.

Kim for her turn stared at the face of Michael O'Rourke, handsome in his Marine uniform. "That is my stepfather" she said quietly, "his name is Michael O'Rourke" she looked up to where Gibbs told her he'd be standing "and for the last 15 years he has systematically raped and tortured me."

Gibbs smiled it was brave of her to say, and he knew it was hard for her to say it. He watched Ziva, his Ziva push the paper work across the desk towards her. "Master Gunnery Sergeant O'Rourke is dead" she told her.

Gibbs had found this nugget of information out only moments before, but to Kim this was a complete shock. Unbeknownst to her this was the moment that her reactions either confirmed her as a suspect or as a victim. Gibbs knew Ziva was using a technique learnt from him, the cold reveal. The reaction of someone to that would almost always demonstrate prior knowledge of the death. Kim's head snapped up, she looked straight past Ziva to the blank glass. For a brief moment Gibbs wondered if she could somehow see him, as she clearly said "I didn't kill him".

Ziva had stopped the interrogation, and gone to contact Tony, McGee had gone to speak to Gibbs. "We need to get the Hospital to check her over" he told his boss. Gibbs nodded, that he'd expected. "Boss, they'll want to do a rape kit" McGee warned.

Gibbs closed his eyes looking for strength, "McGee if they do a rape test, it's going to be me sat the other side of that desk".

McGee turned quickly "What?" then looked at Gibbs calm face "Oh right you mean, yeah well, yeah"

Gibbs smirked "make arrangements for her to go to The Naval Hospital" he turned down the corridor.

"Boss? Where you going?" McGee asked

"To tell her"

McGee started to explain that was a bad idea but Gibbs had already slipped into the interrogation rom.

"Gibbs!" Kim leapt up and hugged him, "you shouldn't be here should you?"

"No" he kissed her head "they're going to take you to the Naval Hospital to get you checked over"

"You said they would" she nodded to show she understood "can you come with me?"

"You want me too?" he asked

"Please" she swallowed hard "Michael's dead, I know you know, but I had to say it" she looked up "I'm not sure how I'm supposed to feel?"

"That's understandable"

"Am I relieved? Scared you're going to arrest me? Sad my step-fathers died?" she shivered "They call it Stockholm syndrome don't they?"

"You aren't defending him, rejecting help, sobbing because of lost love" he cuddled her "I'd be surprised if you weren't a bit screwed up"

"I've made this really difficult for you haven't I? I just wanted to escape, I didn't realise I had to preserve evidence" she looked at her nails, broken and short, ran her hand through her hair "what will they want?"

"The S.A.N.E. Nurse will take DNA swabs, photos of your injuries, she'll fibre comb your hair, take a urine and blood samples, she'll ask you about Michael, and about what happened any specifics you can remember. I'm going to ask she does an ultrasound and takes x-rays as well." He looked into her eyes "My DNA will be all over you"

"Will you get into trouble?"

"Done nothing illegal"

Kim sat in a hospital gown on the edge of the gurney, she'd been allowed to shower after the S.A.N.E had finished with her examination and tests. Gibbs stuck his head round the door "can I come in?"

"You've seen me in less?" she laughed "Have they finished with me?"

"Yeah, it'll be a few hours before they get the blood and urine tests back, but they want you to go back to NCIS" in the stark bright hospital light he saw that her jaw was lightly bruised , he placed his hand under her chin and exposed it to more light. "Did I do that?" he asked quietly.

"No" she felt her jaw "I don't think so?" She looked at him curiously "is everything OK?"

His teeth were set hard "I've been speaking to the nurse" he met her gaze, checking she understood, "you're a mess, badly healed cuts, serious bruising, barely healed broken bones." He hissed air through his teeth "are you in pain?"

"No" she smiled "you didn't hurt me, and I'm not in pain" she looked at him "I'm healthy right, I'm not" she hesitated "I'm not about to kark it am I?"

"Yes, you aren't in any danger"

"But I have to go back to the interrogation?"

"I'll be there" he promised placing a kiss on her damp forehead, "you aren't on your own anymore."


	28. Gone Part 1

Gibbs came home to an empty house, the truck was parked outside but the door was locked. She'd been distant and cold with him for a few weeks, and he assumed he'd done something wrong. After 4 years the sweet innocent and terrified girl he had rescued was now a college graduate, a partner in an antique bookstore, a woman of independence and substance. If she'd gone off in a huff he was sure she'd be OK.

He walked into the lounge and dumped his bag by the fireplace. He'd been gone for two days on the case of a child murderer, a harrowing case that had left him mentally and physically exhausted. He looked across to the mantel piece and realised her framed degree wasn't in its normal place. Curious he looked across to the front door, her winter boots were also missing. He went upstairs to their bedroom. The wardrobe was devoid of her clothes, her bedside cabinet empty, the bathroom was empty of shampoo's and scented soaps. She'd gone. He pulled his phone from his pocket and rang her mobile, downstairs a phone began to chime.

Gibbs walked into the kitchen and saw the still ringing phone sat on the counter, beside an envelope. It was addressed to _"Gibbs" _ripping it open he first found a cheque for $2500, made out to him from Kimberley's own account. He then emptied out the rest of the envelope, a handwritten letter and both her passports and her ID papers.

_Dearest Jethro,_

_Please understand that I have been happy with you, and my actions have nothing to do with our relationship._

_I realise that this will come as a surprise and understand that I am under no pressure from anyone but my own conscious to end my life in this way._

_You have made it clear in our time together that you did not and could not love me, but I in my naivety have fallen in love with you, this makes my decision easier, as without me as a constant prick to your conscious, I trust you will be happier._

_I have emptied my bank accounts, and liquidised all assets, I would have preferred to leave you more, but having paid my debts what is left is all yours. I wish I could give you more in return for all you have done for me._

_If my demise provides you with any issue I whole heartedly apologise, but it was never my intent. _

_Lastly, my dearest Jethro I beg you to remember our first days together, that my worst fear was to leave you with a difficult decision regarding our long term security. In recent days that has been to the forefront of my mind. Your honour and pride intact, I leave you, and this world with my love and blessing._

_With All My Love Forever_

_Kimberley_

_X_

He read it twice, and then emptied the final part of the envelope, it contained a wooden rosary. He breathed in the scent of the envelope, her perfume, the scent of the graphite pencil she adored, the smell of the old vellum paper she'd used.

This was a suicide note, if she was still alive he'd have to find her, if she was still alive he had to stop her. He flicked open his phone and dialled McGee.

"Yeah Boss?" McGee answered

"McGee I need your help, put a BOLO out for me?"

"Whose name boss?"

"Kimberley Flanagan O'Rourke"

"Boss?"

"Find her McGee."

He hung up. Breathing out he read the note again, no hint of where she was, no hint of where she was.


	29. Gone Part 2

Gibbs went home once again to an empty house, he descended immediately to the basement, where Kim's note sat on the work bench for the last few weeks it had sat there he'd read it, drunk read it drunk, worked on the furniture for his cabin, drank and fell asleep on the work bench or the floor. Awake and asleep he was prone to nightmares, terrors really, the burning feeling of guilt and pain mixed together. She had written he didn't want to hurt him, but she hd. For four years she'd been his companion, he'd become used to having someone at home. Whenever he shrugged and thought he could get on with his life carry on as before, the words "I leave you and this world" came back to haunt him. He refused to believe she was dead, he knew when someone was dead. He didn't see it as a supernatural thing, as something wrong or creepy, but as an extension to his gut, he saw and heard ghosts all day every-day, he knew when those he loved passed on. Somewhere hiding from him, awaiting death was a frightened angry girl, he would not have her death on his conscience.

He tried to think why she had left him, what had changed to make her leave, to threaten suicide, to disappear into the night. He knew something hadn't been right for about 4 month, she'd been sharp and snappy with him, sleeping on the sofa, pushing him away. They'd argued and shouted about nothing in particular, and she'd refused to submit to the more enjoyable conflict resolutions. He'd found her sobbing in the bathroom on a number of occasions, and she wouldn't talk to him. He knew he was often a bastard, often a gruff bad tempered man, but he was at a loss to know what he'd done.

He checked the BOLO religiously, in spare moments when not on an active case he made discreet enquiries, nothing come to fruition it was like she'd vanished from the face of the earth, it was sometimes like she'd never existed at all, accept for her letter. He'd put her other small belongings including the cheque into a box in the basement, but the letter was a form of punishment. She'd left with the aim of killing herself because of him, because he had no idea what had happened.

And every morning hung-over and alone, he picked himself up, dusted himself down and went to work, punished his mind and body, lived on coffee, acted like he was a cold hearted bastard, came home and started all over again.


	30. Found Part 1

After several weeks, Gibbs had on the surface given up on finding his wayward lover, in his darker moments Gibbs believed she was dead, and her body was classed as a Jane Doe in some anonymous mortuary. However mostly he believed she was findable, that she was reachable. He check the BOLO daily, he called in favours, if she wanted to leave him he would have respected that, but to leave him a suicide note, and then to vanish pricked at him.

It was two full months later that he came in early on a Monday morning and checked the BOLO on Kim. For the fourth week there was a sighting from Baltimore PD. A sighting of a woman matching Kim's description in a Walmart on Saturday morning. He filed it away for later, and got on with the weeks case.

On the following Saturday morning however he checked a government car out and drove to Baltimore. At 9am he was sat outside the Baltimore Walmart. He checked his watch and stared at the doors, after ten minutes he saw the girl with bright red hair, stooped low over the trolley and he watched her enter the store.

Kim moved slowly through the aisles, she was tired and sore, and the list was long. She filled the trolley with nappies and sudacrem, with SMA and fruit. The same job every Saturday for 5 weeks it was monotonous and boring but it wasn't her, she didn't exist she was someone else, a drudge, nobody else would ever call her...

"Kim?" Gibbs grabbed her trolley as she reached the end of the aisle

"Jethro?" she looked up at his worried face "I didn't want you to find me"

The why was implicit in his look, but he drank in her grey and wan face, her sick look and he had to ask "Are you OK?"

"Yeah, look Gibbs I've got shopping to do" she tried to push past him her mind rebelling against seeing him, her heart racing.

"Kim, please you've got to tell me why?"

She turned to face him, and he looked down her again, the sick worried look, the pale skin, the ugly frumpy dress, the stretched pregnant belly. He gaped "You're? You're pregnant?"

"Jethro please, look…."

He grabbed her hand pulling her close and staring into her eyes "You're pregnant?"

"Gibbs please" she started to sway and he put his arms around her.

"You're sick" he stated taking off his coat he wrapped it round her shoulders, "come and talk to me, you don't have to come home, but I think we need to talk"

She nodded, and leaving the cart in the middle of the aisle allowed him to lead her out of the store to the café across the street. He placed her in the booth and ordered her a chocolate milkshake and fries. When she look curiously at him he replied

"It's your favourite"

"Yeah it is"

"Is it mine?" he asked her while she was still smiling,

"The baby is mine, I chose to leave, I've signed away my rights he will go for adoption, and then I can leave." She told him quickly.

"But I'm the father?" he asked again.

She nodded "I left so you didn't have to deal with this" she told him "you were never supposed to know"

"Kim!" he yelped slamming the palm of his hand against the table "you're having my baby, I'm supposed to know" He seethed for a moment, "you know he's a boy?"

"I was dead, why couldn't you let me be dead?" she yelled back.

"You're sick, and pregnant" he told her, grabbing her hand "why did you run?"

"You don't love me, you couldn't love a child, it would be too painful, I've met Stephanie, I know what it's like in your mind you were better of not knowing" The bile rose in her throat and she closed her eyes and dry retched.

He was by her side in seconds, holding her napkin to her face, "have you seen a doctor?"

"A midwife comes to the centre once a week" Kim told him, "She says the baby will be fine, I've had scans, I know the sex"

"Centre?"

"St Veronicas home for wayward girls" Kim told him "they arrange for Catholic adoptions"

Gibbs stroked her hair fighting back the urge to swear "What about you? Has she looked at you?"

"Malnutrition and anaemia" she told him "I don't matter, when he's born I'll be dead"

"Kim, please" Gibbs begged "what happened to make you think this way?"

"Gibbs you've known me for four years, you know why I can't live with this again"

"When did I become Gibbs again?" he asked quietly

"Jethro?"

"Kim?"

"I told you my reasons in my note"

"You fell in love with me? You're pregnant with my son? Is that such a horrible option that suicide is the best solution?"

"If you could love me, the way I love you carrying your child would be a joy, but it couldn't wouldn't be, it would be a tragedy you'd be trapped paying alimony and child support to a bitter and twisted whore you knocked up, and I'd be miserable and lonely in some dead end flat caring for a child that was a burden to both of us. With my solution we'd never have been a burden to you, you'd have forgotten me, and the baby would have a strong together family who would love him, and never known he was a terrible hated mistake."

"You think I'd be upset?"

"Are you telling me you'd be delighted?" she scoffed

"Do you think I'm a monster?"

"No, never!" she grabbed his hands were he still knelt beside her "You're wonderful"

"Then why didn't you come to me?" he hugged her to him "why did you run away?"

"I love you, I couldn't hurt you!" she protested

He kissed her head, and cuddled her close to him as she sobbed. A tall women in an overcoat hurried into the diner, she ran up to the booth and stood above the pair hands on hips. "Kimberley, are you OK?" the matriarch asked.

"Who are you?" Gibbs asked

"Cathy De Pole" the woman introduced herself, "I am the matron of St Veronicas, and this girl is under my care!"

Gibbs reached into his pocket "Special Agent Gibbs NCIS"

"Is Kimberley under arrest?" Cathy asked

"She's 34, an adult in the eyes of the law, and wanted as a missing Marine Dependent." Gibbs told her.

"She is under our care as a person at risk" Cathy argued staring at Gibbs "You have no right to hold her against her will"

"Are you being held against your will?" Gibbs asked the now trembling Kim.

"No" she sobbed

"Do you want to go with Miss De Pole?" Gibbs asked again, Kim looked hunted and backed into the booth, "you can say yes?"

"No" she sobbed "No I'm fine"

"Kimberley" Cathy scolded "remember your past life cannot hurt you at St Veronica's"

"Miss De Pole" Gibbs stood up and fixed the woman with steely blue eyes "Miss Flanagan has told you, she is fine, she is not here under any duress, I am conducting a perfectly legal interview with her, and I think it would be best if you leave"

"Kimberley do you want me to stay?" Cathy asked again

"No, I'm fine, I really am fine" she reached into her cheap shopping back and took out a credit card, "I'm sorry I haven't done the shopping"

Gibbs laughed and sat back on his side of the booth as the older woman stalked away, "Thank you" he told Kim.

She nodded "I don't really like her" the woman told him smiling, then taking a sip of her milkshake.

"Kim, come home" Gibbs told her "I know now, you have nothing to fear, come home with me"

"You don't love me" she told him

"I've missed you"

"Not quite the same"

"You're pregnant with my son"

"No I'm pregnant with a child that's going to go to a good home"

"If I told you I loved you, would you come home?"

"Would it be true?"

"I would, I have always loved you Kim, you know that, and the child would be loved, will be loved"

"As a friend, as a dependent"

"What do you want me to say?"

"You want to be with me, with us"

"I do" he grabbed her hand "Of course I do!"

"Jethro I lived with you for four years"

"Shannon, Kelly, my girls, I won't stop loving them first and deeply, but that doesn't mean I don't have room for you and the baby"

"Your ex-wives?"

"You think I didn't love them, and Jenny and Hollis? You think I'm such a bastard that I refused to care for them because of my girls? Do you think Shannon and Kelly would have wanted that?"

"You've never said it, you've let me believe you don't care for me, for four years"

"I thought that's what you wanted to believe."

"Tell me"

"I love you Kim, come home" She burst into tears, and he felt like a bastard, "let me take you to a Doctor".


	31. Found Part 2

He sat in the corridor of the emergency OBGYN at the Baltimore Hospital, the coffee in his hand tasted horrible, he hadn't been allowed into the room with Kim, and now he kicked his heels waiting for someone to tell him how she was.

A doctor walked towards him along the corridor "Agent Gibbs?"

"Yeah?"

"I understand you're the child's father?" the doctor asked, gesturing to the room behind him.

"She's not a child, and no I'm not her father" Gibbs told him feeling slightly confused

"I apologise" The doctor hurriedly clarified "I was just speaking to Miss Flanagan, you are the father of her unborn child?"

"Yes" Gibbs shook his head "Yes are they OK?"

"We have some cause for concern" The Doctor sat down and gestured that Gibbs should do the same "The baby is on the surface perfectly healthy, for a 6 month foetus he has reached his expected goals"

"And Kim?"

"There are significant signs of serious abuse"

"She was a victim of child abuse" Gibbs interrupted

"Yes, that's all in her notes, no what concerns us is the bruises on her arms and thighs"

Gibbs turned sharply "recent?"

"Within the last month" The Doctor told him.

"She's been in a shelter for the last 2 months" Gibbs explained "She seemed sick as well?"

"Yeah I don't know what they feed them in this shelter, but she is very malnourished" he swallowed "I don't mean to tell you what to do, but she needs looking after."

"I know"

"We can provide help…"

"I know" Gibbs interrupted, "Can I take her home?"

"Yes, she'll have to fill out some forms, but when that's done, she's free to go."

"Thank you"

"Mr Gibbs?" The Doctor asked walking away

"Yes?"

"She's asking for you".


	32. Found Part 3

Gibbs pulled back the covers on the large double bed, he carefully removed his overcoat from the trembling girl in his arms, and dropped it over the chair behind them. Then he pulled the ugly dress from her, exposing her swollen stomach to the chill of the room. The girl trembled harder and mewed in protest, Gibbs shh'd and soothed her, dropping the dress on top of his coat. He lifted her into his arms and placed her carefully on the bed. Taking his own hooded top off, he sat down on the bed beside her, terrified eyes widened and stared at him.

"Jethro, please" she begged pulling herself away from him. He smiled and stroked her leg comforting her, before carefully removing her shoes one after the other, and placing them on the thick carpet floor. "Jethro?" she tried to sit up, but he placed her tiny feet onto his lap, tipping her gently upside down on to the crisp sheets. He slowly massaged each foot, running circles round the arches, he felt her relax so he lifted her right foot to his lips and kissed it. She giggled and he smiled, kissing her other foot, she started to fight slightly and giggle more. Soon they were both breathless and laughing, she smiled widely, before starting to cough, then retch then choke for air. In moments he was by her side sitting her up. He grabbed a bottle of water from the side of the bed and helping her sip it.

"Careful" he told her gently, "the hospital gave you some protein shake stuff, but you're very weak." He stroked her hair, and let her rest her head on his shoulder.

"Stay with me" she asked him

"Not going anywhere" he confirmed

"No, here tonight, I need to sleep, stay with me" her sleepy and exhausted staccato voice was punctuated with deep sighing breaths.

Gibbs kissed her forehead and lay her down again. He stood up and covered her with the duvet. She mewed again, and he walked to the other side of the bed. It was a nice hotel, considering the area, he'd stayed here once before and remembered it. He pulled the curtains closed on the late afternoon traffic. He wasn't sleepy, he wasn't tired but he couldn't leave her. His mind briefly filtered through the prospect of ordering room service, but looking across the bed, the gaunt way faced girl, who was carrying his child. "Damn" he whispered to himself. Kicking off his shoes and jeans, unbuttoning his shirt, he lay carefully beside her. He put his arm under her head, and let her snuggle into him. He closed his eyes, and dropped his head onto the pillow.

He woke with her pressed against him, he wasn't aware he'd been asleep with the girl laying on his left arm, his right curled protectively over her pregnant belly, his nose pressed into her long thick hair. He lay still for a second wondering what had woken him, then heard the urgent ring of his mobile again. He carefully untangled himself, and grabbed the phone of the night stand, looking at the bedside alarm clock it was nearly midnight on Saturday night.

"Yeah, Gibbs?"

"Hi boss, its Dinozzo, just got a call, dead petty officer in Rock Fall Park, do you want me to swing by and pick you up?"

"I'm not coming Dinozzo" Gibbs sighed

"Boss?"

"I'm not at home, I can't come, and you've got the lead Tony, keep me in the loop." He rang off, and chucked the phone onto the chair beside the bed. He went to the bathroom, and when he returned stripped his shirt off, before snuggling back into Kim's side.

Several hours later he woke to find himself spooning her again, this time however she was awake and pushing herself deliciously into his lap. He smiled and pushed himself back into her, breathing in her scent, stroking her pregnant belly, her swollen breasts and thin arms. She mewled a happier higher note than she had the night before. He took his cue and gently removed the t-shirt bra she was wearing, pulling it up and over her head, covering her scarred shoulders with butterfly kisses. He was suddenly struck with the thought that he'd missed her more than he'd realised, she'd always responded to him subtly, gently but with passion never a word needed to be spoken, he ran his hands down her side and she moaned lifting her hips slightly and letting him slide the ugly grey panties she was wearing down her thin legs.

He stroked her thigh, and pulled her close into himself, and felt her gasp slightly as he moved her into a more comfortable position for himself, he stopped and kissed behind her ear.

"Kim, remember Mexico?" he whispered

"Of course?" she sighed as he stroked her belly again.

"Remember what I told you?"

"I can always say no" she parroted quietly "at anytime"

"Good girl" he smiled "Kim, you need to tell me now, this time, I need to know."

"Yes" she ran her own hand down his stomach to the waistband of his shorts "Yes, please, yes".

She stepped out of the shower and realised Gibbs was no longer in the room, his jacket was gone, naked and wet she sat on the bed. She felt nauseas and wondered if he'd changed his mind and left her here alone. She shook that thought away quickly, whatever he himself believed she knew he wasn't a bastard.

After several minutes, when she had dried her hair with the room's hairdryer, and scrolled through the TV channels, something she hadn't done for months. She was glad to see nothing had changed, and was reading through the news headlines when the door opened. She turned and smiled at Gibbs.

"Feel better?" he asked, dumping two large bags on the bed.

"Thank you" she crawled across the bed to the bags "presents?" she asked, he smiled and gestured she could open them, "I thought you'd gone back to DC" she told him, opening the first bag and pulling out a bag of sweet pastries, "oh Breakfast!"

Gibbs smirked as the bags were abandoned and she tore into the pastry. "Why would I have gone back to DC?"

"DiNozzo phoned you in the night, I heard" she told him, munching happily, "if you have to go back now it's not a problem" she told him.

"Tony can handle it" Gibbs shrugged, "look in the bags"

She looked up at him and smiled, her face lit with excitement and dived onto the bags, the first which had contained the pastries had several packets socks and panties and t-shirt bras, in the bright colours she normally favoured. She smiled at his thoughtfulness, then she checked the other bag, on the top was a pair of pumps in her size, and a pair of winter boots. Under them was a packet of medium T-shirts, and under that 2 pairs of Maternity Jeans. She squeaked and threw herself across the bed into Gibbs arms. "You are wonderful, really, really wonderful" she shrieked.

"You gave away your clothes" he told her.

"But?" she started

"The dress didn't suit you."


	33. Secrets Found

At the same time in the Bull Pen, Tony was pacing up and down much to the annoyance of Ziva and McGee. "But where is he?" he said for the umpteenth time.

"I do not know Tony, it is Sunday, maybe he is at church?" Ziva told him.

"But that doesn't explain where he was last night?"

"Maybe he had a date?" McGee suggested "its months since…" he left it hanging.

"No, he always comes, even when he's on a date?" Tony corrected.

"Could he be visiting his Father?" Ziva asked "We weren't the team on call, it is possible he had arranged to go away?"

"The boss man? The last holiday he took was Mexico, and even then he came back halfway through?" Tony snarked. "No, he is up to something, it must be serious" He pointed towards Tim, "McGEEK, run a GPS search on his phone, he might be in trouble, it could be code"

Tim sighed, but did as asked, it was out of character for Gibbs but he wasn't as nosy as DiNozzo, "oh?"

"Oh, McGee, Oh?" Tony leant on his desk.

"What is it McGee?" Ziva asked suddenly interested.

"The boss's phone" Tim typed quickly and pulled up a GPS map on the plasma "It's in Baltimore?"

"Baltimore?" DiNozzo asked "why Baltimore?"

"The BOLO?" McGee suddenly squeaked, then started typing like a demon.

"BOLO? What BOLO McGee?" Ziva asked

"Secrets are very bad McGee?" Tony threatened mildly.

Tim continued typing and then sat back with a knowing smirk. "A couple of months ago, the Boss asked me to put a BOLO out, it got a hit in Baltimore within the first few days, but after I passed it onto Gibbs I stopped checking, but since then, it's had 5 more hits." He read the screen carefully oblivious to his two colleagues "the last hit, was last Saturday."

"McGee?" Ziva asked "Who was the BOLO out for?"

"Kim" McGee smirked.


	34. Proposal

Gibbs drove them slowly and carefully back to DC, he'd done similar when Shannon had been pregnant, he was aware of his own paranoia in this matter, but somehow it didn't change anything.

"Gibbs?"

"Yeah"

"I'm pregnant"

"Yeah?"

"It's yours"

"Hmm"

They sat in silence for a bit longer, Gibbs driving slowly and Kim picking at a loose thread on her new t-shirt.

"If you are genuine and serious about this…"

"I am" he interrupted

"I'd like you, I mean you can say no, but I wondered, if you want, would you marry me before he's born?"

Gibbs gave a short laugh "You know it's the first time I've ever been proposed to"

"You can say no!"

"You remember I've been married four times?"

"I know, and it's not like I'm naive enough to think it would be sunshine and lollipops, and I know you said you'd never get married again but…"

"Is this a Catholic thing?"

"Actually it's more a family thing, if you really want me, really want us to come home and be a family, I would like to be a family, a real family." She swallowed hard and he looked across concerned she was looking distinctly green and her little speech had obviously worn her out. "You can say no?" she added quietly.

He looked across at her, her head tipped back into the head rest, he thought in silence, as he drove.

Pulling into the driveway of his house, Gibbs looked across at the sleeping girl.

"Kim, we're home"

"Oh, sorry I must have dozed off?"

"It's fine" She unbuckled her seat, and stepped unsteadily out of the car. He grabbed her meagre belongings out of the back of the car, and followed her to the front door. "Kim?" he asked making her turn towards him. He uncomfortably knelt on one knee, and took her hand "I wasn't planning this, so I'm sorry but no diamond ring, or string quartet, but would you do me the honour of becoming my wife?"

She giggled, pulled his hand and when he stood kissed him full on the lips "That's the most romantic proposal I've ever had" she laughed, "Are you sure?" In response he kissed her back. "The fifth Mrs Gibbs?" she then laughed again "One more and you'll rival Henry VIII".

"It can't be big and fancy" he warned her.

"A judge, and a piece of paper will be fine" she confirmed, "but I will require a wedding band"

"Already becoming demanding?" he smirked as they walked through the front door.

"Yes, and nagging" he looked curiously "Go to work, go and check on the team."


	35. Tragedy? Part 1

The Monday after Kim and Gibbs were legally married, he was sat at his desk at 9am a small smirk on his face. Keeping his private life as close as usual only Abby, Ducky and Vance were aware from NCIS. Only his Father, and the Franks family were aware from the wider world. Others were aware that he and Kim had put aside their differences, and she had moved home, but only Ducky was aware of the impending birth, and that because he'd attended the courthouse.

He watched his team enter, and get on with their normal post weekend chatter, it was a few moments before they noticed him.

"Everything OK Boss?" Tony asked. Gibbs gave him a withering look, "it's just you seem…"

"What Tony?" Gibbs asked smiling

"Well boss, you're smiling?"

He smirked again "I had a good a weekend, that's all" he said truthfully, "now tell me about Corpsman Daniel Robertson, have we got any further?"

They'd worked for several hours, before Gibbs finally sent Tim out for coffee. On his way back, he entered the elevator from the lobby with 2 Metro PD officers. They shared brief greetings but their grim faces, discouraged any further conversation. On leaving the elevator, Tim walked straight back to the desks, keeping an eye on the Metro officers, as he handed out the coffees. He had just sat back down, when the two men followed a pointed finger and walked towards Tony.

"Agent Gibbs?" The older of the two officers asked DiNozzo

"Here?" Gibbs waved from his desk.

"Agent Gibbs?" The Officers walked over, "you own a Grey GMC Truck reg 835 SAR?"

"Yes?"

"Can I ask when you last saw it?"

"This morning? Is there a problem?"

Tony, Ziva and McGee were now gathered behind the Officers studying Gibbs face.

"Can you tell us who may have been driving it this morning?"

Gibbs, looked at his team "What's happened?"

"Could you answer the question please?"

Gibbs swallowed, "My wife" Tony dropped his coffee, Ziva gawped and Tim looked genuinely confused, "has there been an accident?"

"Agent Gibbs, I am sorry to inform you we have reason to believe your wife was involved in a road traffic incident, I am afraid there were no survivors."

Tony turned to McGee, "call Ducky, NOW!"

Gibbs looked dumbstruck for a moment, "I want to see her" he said quietly.

"Mr Gibbs there was a fire, the body is with our medical examiner, but identification is going to be nearly impossible" Gibbs nodded "If you feel up to it, we'd like you to come down to Metro."

Ducky came hurrying into the bullpen, and met Tony's eyes, the look which passed between them was concern and horror. "Jethro?" Ducky put his hand on his friends shoulder.

"I'm going down to Metro, Duck" Gibbs told him hollowly.

"Would you like me to come?"

"No, er let Abby know will you?"

"Of course" Ducky stepped backwards, and let his friend stand up.

"Boss" McGee started to say and stopped. The room was in silence, everyone straining to hear, and keeping a million questions of their own in.

Gibbs walked out without saying a word, the Metro Officers hurrying in his wake, every eye on them. When the elevator door closed, you could have heard a pin drop.

"Ducky?" Tony said quietly

The older man saw the questioning look and understood instantly, "Saturday".

"Damn"


	36. Tragedy? Part 2

Gibbs couldn't believe he was once again standing in a police lot, looking down at a car where his wife and child had died. It seemed like a sick joke. The truck was charred and steaming, the license plate still readable, but the rest of it was a mess.

"When it cools down we'll get forensics to go over it, the witness report has your girl turning right on a red light, hitting a stationary car in the side road, fuel truck already on the intersection ploughed into the mess."

"No survivors?"

"No, the fire took care of that" The Metro Officer was reading his notes "Do you know why your wife would have been in the area?"

"She went to visit her Mother, she's in an FCC in Maryland" Gibbs stared at the truck, he knelt beside the wreck of the cab, and glared inside. "Did the fire crew smash the windows?"

"Not sure sir, why?"

"Glass in the foot well from the side window" Gibbs stalked away, he needed air, the smell of the burnt truck, the pathetic end of life, the symmetry of it all, the last thing he needed was to teach a Metro Cop to suck eggs.

"Sir?" The cop shouted after him, "We need to ask you some more questions"

"I know" Gibbs yelled behind him

"Then where…."

"Inside" Gibbs interrupted, doubling his pace.

If they'd been at NCIS, Gibbs would have put the grieving husband in the conference room, plied him with coffee, and had one of the team watch his reactions. Metro didn't have that resource, so he sat in an interrogation room staring up at the glass, while the young cop in front of him shuffled through the paperwork.

"You realise that this is just formality Sir?" The cop asked, Gibbs just nodded, and "We have little evidence, and just want to clear some things up."

"Something suspicious the way they died, Officer?" Gibbs asked, unable to keep the irritation from his voice.

"They?"

"My wife and son" Gibbs told him dead pan.

"I'm sorry Sir, there was no signs of an infant?"

"She is, was, 8 months pregnant" Gibbs rubbed his forehead.

"How long had you been married Sir?" The Officer searching for that information without success.

Gibbs looked at his watch, "2 days".

The Officer nodded "I see" he wrote this down in his notepad "How long have you been together?"

"4 years"

"And where were you this morning?"

"Left home at 7, got to the Naval Yard 30mins later, was there until you came to collect me, a little after 1."

"Do you know your wife's movements?"

"She was eating breakfast when I left, she had a special pass to see her Mother from 9, so she would have finished breakfast, got dressed and gone" He grimaced slightly realising he didn't really know.

"She didn't call you, to let you know she was OK?"

"She never does"

The door to the room opened, and red faced flustered man appeared in the doorway. He looked at the other copper "Ade? You working on the Fed in a car wreck?"

Gibbs smirked at the younger man's uncomfortable look "Yeah he is"

"Ade, you need to come to the front desk" The other man said looking between the two men.

"Go" Gibbs waved the man away, it made him think of something else for a few moments, which was a blessing.

In their hurry they left the door slightly ajar, and the whispered conversation came in fits and starts. Gibbs didn't want to listen, he heard Kim's name, heard the words "Very Pregnant" heard the word stolen, and gunshot. None of it made sense.

The door opened further "Mr Gibbs? I'm sorry to ask this, but" Gibbs stiffened expecting to be asked about any enemies, "could you follow me down the corridor?"


	37. From Tragedy to Triumph

**"Mr Gibbs? I'm sorry to ask this, but could you follow me down the corridor?"**

Gibbs glared at the younger man, but stood up a dutifully followed him anyway, they travelled a few steps when another officer walked out of a side door, and he was followed by a short red headed woman, who was obviously heavily pregnant. "Kim?" Gibbs asked far too loudly, causing the girl to stop sharply and turn.

"Oh my God, Jethro!" she shrieked, pushing passed the police officers and diving into his arms "I'm so sorry, the truck was stolen, and I came to report it and now they say there was an accident, and then they started asking me all these questions, and I'm sorry did they drag you down here?"

He hugged her tightly, and kissed the top of her head "Oh Kim" he kissed her again "Don't apologise, please don't apologise"

She looked up at his shocked face, and her smile died slightly "Are you OK?" she asked "You don't look well?"

"I'm fine now" he smirked, looking up towards the Officers he asked "I assume we can go?"

"We might have further questions?"

"We'll be at the Navy Yard for the rest of the day, then you can find us at home" Gibbs told them, then taking Kim's elbow led her down the corridor and out of the building.

Gibbs called Ducky from the cab, letting him know he was bringing Kim to the Navy Yard, he also called Vance to pass on the same information.

"Why are going to the Navy Yard?" Kim asked, her fingers tapping her swollen belly, extricating tiny movements from inside.

"I want to show off my wife" Gibbs told her

"For a professional, you really are a terrible liar" she told him laughing "you want me close for some reason"

He smirked and laughed "When did you get so smart?"

She battered him slightly "Is there something I need to worry about?"

"No" he kissed her head, and pulled her close to his side.

"If you lied this badly to your other wives I'm understanding the divorces." She gripped his hand "you thought we were dead, Jethro, that's why you looked so haunted. I'm sorry"

"Don't"

"I'm so sorry, you were sad, I wish I'd have phoned you, but I didn't want to worry you. I thought I'd report the theft and explain later." She leant against him, kissing his cheek. "Am I forgiven?"

Gibbs shook his head and squeezed her hand "Nothing to forgive, you going to be OK coming into work? Abby will hug you" She smirked.


	38. Back to the Navy Yard part 1

The door to the elevator pinged, and Tony waved the others to look casual. As Gibbs strode towards them, behind him in his wake a small red haired girl could just be seen. "Tony, how's the case?"

"Dead end boss, erm, is everything?"

"Hi Tony" Kim greeted stepping out from behind her husband and waving.

"Er? WOW?" Tony stared at her bump, "well that's a shock?"

"Gibbs GIBBS' Gibblets!" Abby squealed running towards Gibbs, "I mean I was annoyed you hadn't told me, but then I was worried because, well you know, and then Ducky told me, and oh…" she looked at Kim, who shrank back slightly "Kim! You're HUGE!"

"Hi Abby" The Irish girl said quietly before being immediately caught up in a massive hug followed by having her bump examined carefully.

"Is it twins?"

"No, he's not twins" Kim laughed

"You know it's a boy, he's a boy? OH" She clapped "I have the perfect thing, when is he due?"

"Abby" Gibbs warned

"3 weeks" Kim told her, rubbing her swollen stomach protectively.

"That means?" Abby started before looking up at Gibbs and theatrically zipping her mouth.

"I've got to go and see Vance, are you OK here?" Gibbs turned to Kim.

"Yeah, we'll just sit at your desk and watch Tony try not to stare at my breasts" she smirked, and Tony made a series contradictory noises.

"Come to the lab!" Abby squealed, "You can hug Bert, and listen to music and…."

"OK" Kim smiled "If I'm allowed?" Abby had already grabbed her hand and started dragging her off.

"Wait" Gibbs snapped making the two women stop he walked to Abby and kissed her cheek, then matched the kiss with Kim. "Go on" he told them, before sprinting up the steps towards Vance's office.

"Gibbs" Vance greeted as he walked through the door, "you OK?"

"Leon" Gibbs nodded, and closed the door.

"Apparently I should be offering you double congratulations?" He offered Gibbs a chair, that wasn't taken "were you planning on telling anyone, human resources perhaps?"

"You knew I'd got married?"

"To a girl whose half your age and 8 months pregnant?"

Gibbs smirked "I'm not that old Leon"

"Is this going to affect your work, should I be preparing Brenda for another set of alimony payments?" Leon smiled to show he was teasing. "I assume Kim is OK?"

"She's with Abby"

"Maybe not then?" Leon looked serious for a moment "Your car, it had nothing to do with Kim? I've seen the Metro police report, the driver was shot."

"Figured as much, the truck was stolen from FCC Maryland car park, it's not an unreasonable leap to say the woman who stole it was the intended target."

"There's nothing you need to tell me regarding this?"

"You'll be the first to know"

"I'm sure I won't be, but appreciate the lie" Gibbs walked to the door, "I mean it, congratulations"

"Thank you."


	39. Back to the Navy Yard part 2

"Is anyone else bothered that Gibbs didn't tell us he was getting married?" Tony asked Ziva and McGee, "or that his wife was pregnant?"

"He didn't tell us about his first wife for years?" McGee pointed out.

"And Gibbs is a very private man" Ziva added.

"But we're a team, a family, we should have been invited" Tony continued

"Are you upset you may have missed a party?" Ziva asked "Vetting the baby's head?"

"Wetting" McGee corrected "you know of course why we didn't know about the baby?"

"Go ahead McGeek?" Tony asked curiously.

"She's 8 months pregnant right?" McGee started acknowledging the nods from his colleagues he continued "He brought her back from Baltimore 7 weeks ago, she'd been missing for 9 weeks before that?"

"She left him, when she found out she was pregnant?" Tony asked

"Do you think he even knew?" Ziva asked

"She didn't just leave him" McGee reminded them, "She left him a suicide note."

"Damn" Tony whistled

"He couldn't have known" Ziva told them, when the two men looked curiously at her, "Gibbs would have chased her to the end of the world, if he thought she might harm his child."

"If it's his child?" McGee pointed out.

"Damn!" Tony whistled again

"That I do not buy" Ziva told them, "I have seen women who are having affairs, I have seen women who cheat on their husbands, Kimberley is not like that."

"Psycho basement girl?" Tony asked "you can tell that, really?"

"She sees Gibbs as her saviour, she is in love with him, and she would not cheat on him."

"Then why run?" McGee asked.

"Too many painful memories" Tony added quietly, he noted the curious expressions on Tim and Zivas face, sighing he continues, "It was like 3am one morning while Gibbs was staying in Mexico, I get a call from the boss. We we're working on the O'Rourke house still, looking for bodies in the garden, if you remember. The boss asks me on the QT if we found any neo-natal remains. At the time we hadn't, he told me to let him know if we did."

"But we did" McGee said quietly

"No we didn't" Tony looked at him, warning him.

"The baby was Kim's, Gibbs buried the evidence?" Ziva asked

"Literally" McGee added.

Gibbs walked into autopsy, as Ducky was finishing his notes. "I finished with the Corpsman several days ago, Jethro"

"I know Duck"

The older man turned to face him "Is everything OK with Kim?"

"I don't know Duck" Gibbs shrugged and sat on the autopsy table

"She is well though?" He waved his hand "physically?"

"She isn't dead" Gibbs sighed, "they're well".

"But mentally you have concerns, she has come through a terrible ordeal relatively unscathed, but there is a cost. Faced with a bitter reminder, she ran."

"Duck"

"Do you want me to tell you whether she will run again?"

"No"

"What you want me to tell you, is something nobody knows Jethro, I doubt she knows herself. Once suicide is contemplated, it is usually a theme returned too, time and again by person suffering from PTSD of this nature."

"I thought…"

"You know her better than I" Duck stood beside his friend and patted his shoulder "but I do know she has gone to great lengths to protect your child, I would face any stake that she would never do anything to deliberately risk his life or health."

Gibbs smiled and stood up walking out towards the door, "thanks Duck"

"Jethro" Gibbs stopped and turned "She's in love with you"

"Yeah Duck, I know".

Abby's lab was full of loud music and laughter as the two young woman took turns in making Bert fart. They didn't notice Gibbs enter and watch them for a few minutes.

For years Kim had worried Abby was jealous of her, or upset she was stealing Gibbs affections Abby in turn had led Gibbs to believe she was concerned Kim was jealous of her position as Gibbs favourite, and that the Irish girl hated her. However on the few occasions Gibbs had the opportunity to observe them together, they had genuinely got on well. Both women were desperately empathetic to one another. If Kim hadn't got on with Abby, Gibbs couldn't have entertained the thought of keeping her in his life, let alone marrying her. Abby for her turn could no more hate Kim, than she would be capable of hating their unborn son. Gibbs had spent 20 years building himself a surrogate family. On the verge of regaining a biological family, it was comforting to know that the two could go hand in hand.

"Gibbs!" Abby called and ran towards him throwing her arms around him she kissed him liberally.

"Hey Ab's?" Gibbs put her down and smiled as Kim, stood carefully up off the floor and started waddling towards them.

"Jethro?" Kim came closer and placed a kiss on his cheek.

"Still feeling like a hippo?" He asked her, she nodded slowly "it's not for long" he kissed the top of her head.

"Abby said she'd stand in for me at home while I still feel like a whale" she told him.

"Stand in?" he raised his eyebrows.

"This poor woman" Abby started "Is bloated and sore, she's carrying an enormous Gibbs baby, and she should not have to bend to your whims"

"What you have in mind Ab's?" Gibbs bit his lip, amused at the stance she had taken.

"I told her you'd enjoy sleeping in her coffin for a few weeks" Kim told him. Then when he tried to gauge both women's steely looks she burst out laughing, Abby joining in immediately.

"We thought we could get Ziva into it as well, and drive Tony completely mad" Abby informed him.

"I see you've had a productive afternoon?" He told them.

"Can we go home?" Kim countered

Gibbs looked down at her pleading eyes and smiled "Yeah, come on".


	40. Contractions

2 weeks later Kim woke with a start, tangled in duvets curled into the foetal position the moment of terrified amnesia made her gasp for air. The darkness in the room, the cramp in her legs and back, the dull pain all conspired to make her believe she was locked in a dungeon. She breathed hard against the fear, and looked up to see the brass and wood lamp on the bedside table, the old fashioned bell alarm clock. She was in Gibbs house, in his bed, she was of course safe. He wasn't beside her, and checking the clock she saw it was nearly 2am, which meant he'd probably fallen asleep in the basement, or was still awake working. She sat upright wondering what had woken her, she needed the bathroom and was halfway out of bed when her vision started to swim and she pitched forward with pain. Her whole body cramped and she felt nauseas, fighting the urge to vomit and scream, she sat down heavily on the bed.

The OBGYN had told her it was perfectly normal to have false cramps and pains in the last few weeks, and she'd had a couple. This was by far the worse, she had an irrational fear that something was wrong and started stroking her belly, soothing her son, happy when she felt him move. She found her way to the bathroom, and then returning to the bedroom found her robe, fixing the belt loosely over her night gown, she thought to go and find her husband. She got to the stairs, before she had to sit down, another cramping pain, shallower this time hit her. The baby wasn't due yet, she wasn't ready, and she cursed for not timing the cramps. When the pain passed she walked carefully down the steps, and to the basement.

Gibbs was stood over a handcrafted crib, he had built it 30 years previously for Kelly and it had remained in storage ever since. It had suffered some mild insect damage, and he'd had to replace the rockers. Now having sanded it, he was applying a second coat of varnish to it. He heard Kim's gentle footsteps on the stairs and turned with a smile.

"Couldn't sleep?" he asked, concentrating on the crib.

She couldn't answer, she felt like she was going to vomit at any minute, the swimmy feeling returning she held onto the bottom of the rail as if her life depended on it. Gibbs realised something was amiss, and turned to see her pale sweating face as she swayed again and leant heavily on the cold stone wall behind for comfort.

"Kim?" he walked to her side, lifting her easily to her feet and walking her down into the room "are you OK?"

"No" she sobbed, putting her head on his chest and letting him place her on a chair.

He grabbed a soft blanket from the top of the pile of baby things in the corner and wrapped it round her. "I'll go and get you a glass of water" he looked down at her frightened face, he took his watch off and handed it to her, "time the contractions" he told her.

"Jethro?"

"Yeah"

"I'm scared"

He smiled and kissed her forehead "I'll be right back".

When he returned a few moments later she was leaning heavily back in the chair, but the pain had obviously subsided. He gave her the glass and tentatively felt her forehead then her pulse. She lethargically watched him, as if a veil had been drawn between them she saw his movements with a hazy, sleepy cloud. She was just settling into this new dream world when a stab of pain hit her again, ringing the world back into sharp focus. The cramping shocking feeling of her whole abdominal squeezing pitched her forward into his arms. He took the watch from her, as he let her grip him.

"Three minutes" he told her "we need to think about getting to the hospital"

"No!" she shrieked, "please, can't we stay here? I don't want to go into the hospital, please" she rambled through the pain "I was born in my Mam's bed, my Dad was born there too, can't I give birth at home. I bet your Mum didn't go to hospital to have you?"

Gibbs laughed "Stillwater Community Hospital" he shrugged.

"Well I don't want to go, let me stay here please" she begged

"Maybe next time" he kissed her damp forehead "this time, we play it safe"

"Next time?" she looked at him as if he'd gone mad, he blanked stared her for a moment before grinning to show he was joking. "You have to phone them to tell them we're coming" she gasped as the pain subsided again.

"Already done" He stroked her hair, "do you want me to call anyone else? Your Mum, your Gran, Abby?"

"There's only you" she grabbed his hand as he started to turn away "Don't leave me, I know you aren't the kind to want to hold my hand, but I'm really scared".

Gibbs shifted uncomfortably "You'll be fine"

"Please!"


End file.
